Now Lost to Memory
by Cepheus Noir
Summary: REBOOT! AU One summer night, an 8 year old Luna finds a strange boy near her home. He doesn't remember anything except his name: Albus. Meanwhile his brother is left to pick up the pieces he left behind. Accidental Time-Travel. Rated T. A pre-Hogwarts Fic
1. Chapter 1

**A.N.- So welcome! As I mentioned this is a reboot, with the number of changes increasing the further along you read. For the most part, these first few chapters will be fairly familiar, with some important changes. I hope that this little fic can brighten your day.**

**I do not own anything pertaining to the estate of J. K. Rowling**

**Reviews are appreciated**

**so anyway, enough that, on to the story**

**A Boy in Need**

After a long day of work, Pandora Lovegood finally allowed herself to relax. Experimenting with potions was a serious business, and one mistake could result in a fatal explosion. She glanced over to the calendar and noted the date: July 25, 1989. 'Only four more days 'till Xeno comes home' she thought. His expeditions always brought rich global perspectives to the Quibbler. Indeed, she was grateful that the Quibbler was popular…well, at least outside of Britain. As she put away her supplies, she remembered Luna was still outside, so she went for the door to call her daughter in for the night.

Sure enough, there was Luna, blonde hair flowing, scampering up the path like a young snortkack. Yet something seemed off about her pace. It was too urgent, almost frightened. Luna was very hard to scare, so whatever put her daughter in such a state must have been terrifying. The girl came to her mother in tears, so Pandora wrapped her child in a tight embrace.

"Luna? Is something wrong?" she cooed, hoping her daughter would calm down.

"Oh mummy! The Blibbering Humdingers told me to go to the pond near the Weasleys' house," the girl said sobbing. "So I followed them there and… and…"

"And?" she nudged.

"And, there was a boy there, covered in blood, and screaming!" She cried, burying her face in her mother's legs. Pandora's face went pale at the thought of an injured child. She quickly lowered herself to look her daughter in the eyes.

"Luna…show me _exactly _where he was." The girl nodded and began running down the path, indicating to her mother to follow. Pandora kept a brisk pace, following her daughter as she maneuvered through the tall grasses. As she got closer to the pond, her heart began to quicken. A flurry of fireflies scattered as Luna veered off the path towards a spot right by the pond's edge. In the fading light, she saw a dark mass, barely moving, and clearly in pain. The insects further scattered as the mass squirmed, disappearing into the night. She held her heart as she approached her daughter and the unknown child. As she got closer, the mass revealed the young boy, no more than ten years of age. His face was contorted in agony, his black hair completely disarrayed, blood all over his clothes, and his breath ragged.

Without a moment's notice, she scooped the child up in her arms, making sure that she did not cause him any more pain. The boy faintly moaned as Pandora steadied herself.

"Will he be okay?" asked Luna, fear filling her words.

"He will live, Luna. I will make sure of it," she said, resilience in her voice. The little girl's face filled with hope, letting Pandora mentally sigh at the sight before her.

"Come. We need to get inside quickly, he still needs help, and you need sleep." Pandora made her way back to the house, an injured boy in her arms and her daughter in tow.

OoOoOoO

Glass cracking, floating and tumbling, frightened screams, a loud bang, and then darkness. These terrifying experiences were all the boy could remember. Had he died? He thought he'd heard some voices, but now even those had faded. As his thoughts grew more lucid, he began opening his eyes to figure out where he was.

All around him were bright coloured objects, books and bottles. Near the window, he noticed a woman sitting down, head down on a table, using her arms as a pillow. She was petite, with blond wavy hair, her brow creased as if she was worrying. 'Who is she?' he thought, moving to get a closer look. Suddenly his side erupted in pain, causing him to yelp. The sleeping woman slumbered no longer and lifted her head to catch him in the act with her distant hazel eyes.

'Just like James'' he thought.

'Wait,' he caught himself, 'who's James?' he pondered.

"Easy there," she said, getting up out of her chair. She moved to grab a bottle and sat down on the bed.

"Here, drink up dear. Your head must be hurting." He nodded and allowed her to administer the potion quickly.

"Yeugh!" he said when the aftertaste took effect. She smiled at his reaction. "Where am I?" he asked, curiosity piqued.

"You're safe, and that's what matters," she replied. "But if you must know, this house is near Ottery St. Catchpole in Devon."

"Ottery St. Catchpore?" he said, struggling with the words. They felt familiar, yet foreign in his mouth.

"Yes, I hope that's not too far from home," she chuckled, hoping he remained calm.

"I've never heard of a place like that," he pondered. "It must be very far away 'cause that's the funniest name I've ever heard!"

"Oh?" she replied, cocking an eyebrow, "then where are you from?"

"Umm…" he hesitated, biting his lip. "I-I don't know." The witch's brow creased again, wondering what the boy meant.

"You don't know?"

"Nope."

"Do you know who your parents are?" she continued.

"I…can't…remember," he mumbled.

"Do you know your name?" she questioned, unsure of what to do with the boy.

In his mind, he saw another boy wide-eyed with fear calling out to him.

'ALBUS!' he screamed as an earthshattering explosion tore apart his vision, bringing the room back into focus. The woman looked very worried by now, so he decided to speak up.

"Albus," he declared, confident in that one fact. "My name is Albus." He saw her worry evaporate into relief, and she gave him a slight smile.

"My name's Pandora Lovegood and it's a pleasure to meet you Albus," she said brightly.

"Is it breakfast yet?" he asked, rubbing his belly with hope in his eyes.

"It's barely dawn now," she said, pointing at the window. His face fell for a moment, "but if you're that hungry, I'll cook some eggs right now," she finished. That seemed to satisfy him, and so she slipped out of the room. "Be back in a few with breakfast," she called over her shoulder before closing the door.

Once out of the room, Pandora sighed in relief knowing the boy, Albus, was going to be okay. Yet there remained a few questions. Who was he? Where did he come from?

Whoever he was, Pandora Lovegood would find the truth.

**Any questions, comments?**

**Reviews are always welcome**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. I do not own any Harry Potter Intellectual property. That is all.**

**More Questions than answers**

Luna was a light sleeper. So naturally, when she heard her mother making breakfast, her eyelids flew wide open. Glancing around her room, she noticed the light was still low, and the window revealed the dark sky. 'Why is mum up this early?' she wondered. Then it all came back to her.

The boy!

Was he okay? Who was he? What was he doing here? The flurry of questions got her out of bed and out of her room. Once in the hall, she began opening random doors, in the hope of finding the mysterious boy.

Sure enough, after four or five doors, the door she opened revealed a confused, raven-haired child staring back at her.

"Um, hello?" he offered softly.

"Hi," she returned, relieved. "You look much better today. Yesterday I thought the thestrals would take you away, and that would've been very sad." He looked absolutely confused.

"Huh?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Luna. Do you have a name?" The boy smiled.

"I'm Albus! At least that's what James told me," he announced plainly.

"Who's James?"

"I have no idea."

"It's okay, the river Lethe does that to people."

"The WHAT?" he cried, eyes boggling out of their sockets.

"The river Lethe. It must end in our pond… Oh well, no more swimming for me!" A hearty laugh cut through the air.

"Luna, you're scaring him. Good use of logic, but no, the river Lethe doesn't end in our pond," said the elder woman, carrying in a plate of eggs. The girl smiled sheepishly, before responding.

"Sorry, but if Crumple-Horned Snorkacks exist, then the river Lethe does too, right mummy?" she reasoned.

"It does," said her mother, smiling.

"What are Crumple-Horned Snorkacks?" interrupted Albus, still bewildered. The resulting conversation involved Luna explaining the creatures and showing him proof of their existence through bones, images and eggs.

"So, you're telling me these things used to live all around the Arctic Circle but are nearly extinct." The girl nodded. "And they can only be found in Sweden." Again, a nod. Albus glanced back to Pandora, who looked amused, but sincere.

"My husband believes there are a few in Sweden, but he hasn't had time to launch an expedition, with all the other articles and issues he deals with."

"Articles?" asked the boy. "Like a newspaper?"

"Yeah! Daddy writes all sorts of articles! Animals and plants, different countries, magic, and other stuff!" replied Luna. Her mother gave her a look, and her face fell. "Oh, I'm sorry, I can't be telling you all that." The boy's interest piqued.

"What do you mean 'I can't tell you that'?" he asked, slightly hurt.

"We don't know if you're a muggle or not," responded Pandora calmly.

_Muggle. No-Maj. Maguru_ thought Albus. 'James used to use that word,' he thought. 'Wait, I'm not a muggle. I think.' His face became defiant.

"I'm not a muggle, I can do magic!" he said with conviction.

"Prove it," replied Luna innocently. He looked at the eggs Pandora still held in her hand. 'I don't really want eggs,' he thought to himself. 'I want...breakfast like James.' After staring at the tray for a few seconds, it quickly changed from a plate of eggs into a bowl of rice and plums. Pandora was so shocked she nearly dropped the platter. Luna on the other hand was smiling profusely.

"You're a wizard!" cried the girl with glee. "Mum, He's a wi-"

"Yes Luna. I heard. Well, I guess you want your breakfast don't ya?" said Pandora, full of mirth.

"Yes please," he said softly. She then handed Albus the tray, which he quickly took. His eyes gleamed as he dug into the rice quickly. Luna was fascinated by Albus' food and asked to try some. As Pandora left the two to their own devices, she was content she now knew a few more things about the boy. Albus was a wizard, he liked rice and pickled plums, and he had lost his memory. 'The fact he's magic narrows down the search,' she thought, relieved as she heard laughter emanating from the room she just left.

OoOoOoOoO

Over the next few days, Albus' condition improved dramatically. By the end of the first day, Pandora caught him walking around the room as Luna showed him its contents. By the third day, he was out chasing Luna through the fields without a care in the world. Yet something still bothered her. She had no idea about Albus' family, much less where to find them. Asking the Weasleys had not yielded any results, and according to Arthur, there was no news of a missing child at the ministry. Her own efforts at St. Mungo's and with her parents had also been dead ends. It was as though Albus had appeared out of thin air.

Yet now was not the time for such worrying, especially since she needed to start working on her experiments and potions orders again. Just as she began to get up from her chair, a man materialised in front of her, nearly knocking her over. It took her a second to recover, but her husband had already embraced his wife in a tender hug.

"Well, I sure wasn't expecting to have you waiting for me to arrive," he said playfully.

"Prat! You gave me fright, Xeno," she said, feigning anger as she gave him a punch.

"I tend to do that," he said giving her a wry smile.

"How was Algeria?" she asked, but before he could answer, two children ran in through the door, huffing excitedly.

"I won!" declared Albus.

"You did not! The blibbering humdingers distracted me!" retorted Luna. Albus stuck his tongue out jokingly.

"My, my, who's this?" asked Xeno. The boy straightened up and schooled his features.

"My name is Albus, sir" he replied with a slight bow. Xeno gave him a dreamy smile.

"Albus," he started, eyes twinkling, "you need not be so formal. My name is Xenophilius Lovegood, but please call me Xeno."

"Yes Mr. Xeno-"

"No, just Xeno," he gently corrected.

"Yes Xeno."

"There's food in the kitchen," said Pandora, addressing the children. "You should get it while it's hot." They went off to the kitchen whispering things amongst themselves. Turning back to her husband, she saw him giving her a 'who-the-heck-is-he?' look.

"As you know his name's Albus. We don't know any more than that. Luna found him less than a week ago, bloody and injured near the Weasleys place."

"Did they have something to do with this?" he asked, his brow creased.

"Dear Merlin, No! When I asked them about Albus, Molly didn't have a clue who the boy was, and nearly had a stroke when I told her we found him half-dead."

"Fair enough. You know what I always say," he said proudly. She sighed and jokingly rolled her eyes.

"Never take anything for face value."

"Exactly! So, we know nothing about him…"

"Other than the fact he's magical, and he likes rice with pickled plums," she finished.

"Isn't that a Japanese thing?" he asked skeptically.

"You're the expert in that field," she accused.

"Fair point. So, he has no memory, and no one has complained in the wizarding world about a missing child…he could be muggleborn."

"He knew what the word 'muggle' meant and proceeded to prove that he was a wizard by using intentional magic," she deadpanned, having already tried that route.

"Intentional magic you say? Maybe he's Harry Potter," he joked, earning an incredulous look from his wife. "Okay, okay. But you have to admit, that he does look similar to the descriptions in the children's books. It would make an excellent conspiracy story for _the Quibbler_."

"You know very well that the Quibbler is a political and cultural journal, not a gossip rag, or are the blibbering humdingers attacking your brain too?" she drawled. His face lost its playfulness with those words.

"Sheesh woman, any louder and Malfoy or Dumbledore will hear you and take me to Azkaban. I was suggesting for one of the stories for the encoded version." Pandora glared daggers at her husband for his comments.

His gaze softened into a faint smile. "I'm sorry love, but you know how dangerous it is to mention that sort of thing so publicly." She sighed, and put her hands up, admitting defeat.

"Fine, just making sure you're still in there and not up in the clouds," she replied with a smirk. "So, what are we going to do about Albus?" His face became pensive as he rubbed his chin. He remained that way for several moments. "Perhaps the goblins?" she offered. The idea lit his face right up.

"Gringotts." He stated. "The goblins, as much as I don't like them, can find out who anyone is, and all the associated information. You're brilliant love!"

"So tomorrow looks like a visit to Diagon Alley," she mused. "Oh well, we needed to do it anyway. I can't rely on Weasley hand me downs to permanently clothe the boy." Xeno chuckled and Pandora smiled. Just then, they heard voices carrying from the kitchen.

"Why, would you eat that?" asked Albus.

"Because I can," responded Luna coolly. They both heard Albus gag in shock.

"Maybe we should join them, before it gets even more bizarre," offered Pandora.

"Pan, this is our house. Everything is bizarre." Now it was Pandora's turn to laugh as they entered the kitchen together, expecting to find the unexpected.

OoOoOoOoO

_Iyoshima General Mages Hospital_

_Matsuyama, Shikoku_

_The Future_

Healer Sakai looked forlornly at his young patient. The bandages made the boy appear mummified and being surrounded by machines spelling potions into his body further strengthened the necromantic image. The medics had been working on him for hours, and with their help, he had finally stabilized around midnight. With that small miracle, he finally felt as though he could step outside for some air. As he gathered his bearings, one of his colleagues, Healer Kobayashi came over to assess the damage.

"Sakai-san are you alright?" she asked, brow furrowed.

"I will be," replied Sakai, trying his best to remain stoic. "I'm just relieved the boy is stable. There were so many injuries that I'm surprised he survived the portkey trip from Ohashi."

"Ohashi? As in the dam?"

"Yes, he was in a car that rolled down the mountainside." He saw Kobayashi's face turn pale.

"And…And the driver?" she asked quietly. Despite the quiet tone of their conversation, it was as though the entire hallway was leaning in to hear more about the gaijin boy.

"He was the only body pulled from the vehicle. I'm told the aurors and the prefectural police are looking for any other survivors." Though he doubted that there were any after how much time had passed. He motioned to the nearest door, and the pair of healers started walking towards a private lounge, so as to avoid eavesdroppers for the rest of this sensitive conversation. Kobayashi looked to her colleague, face full of questions. 'It seems I'm not explaining enough', he thought sarcastically.

"Whatever you're going to ask, ask now," he stated evenly.

"Well, for the record I was just assigned the case for his mid-term recovery care, so that is what I intend to do."

"Fair enough." He couldn't argue with that, since he needed as much help as he could get here.

"Who is he?"

"Fortunately, he had his identity card. Tenrō James Potter from Yoshiumi, Imabari." Sakai saw her eyes widen.

"Potter? Any relation to the Potters of the Midoyama clan?"

"Very likely, since he is a citizen and gaijin names are rare." Kobayashi took a seat from the shock. Her face held a flurry of emotions, which he was no doubt starting to mirror on his own.

"Has Lord Midoyama been notified?" He nodded.

"What about next of kin?"

"The entire family was presumed to be in the car at the time of the accident."

"There has to be family somewhere," she exclaimed.

"Yes, probably in England," he deadpanned. That earned him a look.

"Sakai-san, they still need to be contacted." He took a deep sigh.

"Lord Midoyama might know," he suggested.

"Then it is imperative to see him," she replied.

"He's likely downstairs at reception." Sakai saw her stand up, determination written across her face. He knew that tonight was going to be a long night for him, and for poor little James Potter.

**A.N. – ****Tenrō= traditional Japanese name of the Dog star (Sirius)**

**Cheers, **

**Cepheus**


	3. Chapter 3

**A.N. No I do not own Harry Potter.**

**The Golden Hourglass **

The following morning came full of anticipation. Albus and Luna woke at dawn, and by the time Xeno found them, they were engrossed in a random copy of the Quibbler.

"See, that's the code," pointed Luna.

"So the numbers at the top aren't just random?"

"No, they're the words you highlight with magic to undo the code. Like this." She grabbed a device off a nearby shelf and began highlighting. "See 7, 44, 193, and 619 are 'I, am, the, walrus'." As she tapped the words, the letters on the page shifted, revealing an entirely new article.

"Oh, I see," said Albus softly. "Instead of an article on the evolution of flying walruses, it's about…the latest anti-muggleborn legislation and…its impacts on wizarding society?" he recited, having read the last part directly off the paper.

"Precisely!" replied Xeno, starling the two kids. "Remember, that only works because you know most of the encryptions darling." Xeno noticed Albus fidget uncomfortably as he picked up the paper and returned it to its shelf. "Albus, do you remember ever going to Diagon Alley? Or any part of magical London for that matter?" The boy straightened slightly.

"No Xeno, sir. It must be locked away with the rest of my memories," he responded, tapping on his head for emphasis. "One step at a time," sighed the elder man, both for the boy and for himself. At least he was not calling him Mr. Lovegood anymore.

"You'll enjoy it. It's truly fantastic, especially since they got rid of the wicker man in front of Fortescue's," declared Luna happily. Pandora's distant voice retorted an unintelligible remark.

"What did you say, love?" called Xeno. She walked into the room a moment later.

"I was just telling Luna that the 'wicker man' she mentioned was a statue." Luna looked at her mother for a second, cocking an eyebrow.

"King Edward V wasn't a wicker man?"

"I think he's glad he wasn't a wicker man," noted Albus casually. "If what you said about wicker men the other day was true, I sure wouldn't want to be burned!" Laughter filled the air as the Lovegoods and their temporary ward enjoyed their morning, got ready, and went straight to Diagon Alley.

OoOoOoO

Albus was amazed by everything he saw. From the Floo, to the Leaky Cauldron, and every little detail that Luna pointed out. Pandora was happy to see that Albus' eyes sparkled brighter than a kid on Christmas morn, and did not seem to care who caught him. Glancing back to her husband, she noticed an anxious gaze in his eyes.

"Don't worry," she whispered, giving Xeno a smile.

"I know, but goblins can be sneaky, and you never know what might come up."

"Well, let's hope for the best," she said brightly as Albus and Luna raced up the steps of Gringotts.

"Ha! I beat you!" declared Luna proudly to a huffing Albus.

"No...fair..." he panted. Luna shrugged and waited for her parents to catch up. The past few days spent with Albus were quite eventful. She had always been a bit envious of her friend Ginny with her army of brothers. So, when Albus came along, she felt happy she could have a 'brother' all to herself. "I demand a rematch," he announced, breaking her train of thought.

"But we're already at the top of the stairs," she reasoned.

Before Albus could think of a comeback, Xeno and Pandora caught up with the excited children.

"Now remember you two," began Xeno.

"Respect and proper conduct within the bank," finished Pandora. Luna nodded and adjusted. Albus unsure of what to do copied Luna. Xeno held back a chuckle as she nudged the boy in the right direction. With everyone steeling themselves, the group of four made their way into the bank, to the nearest teller. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Albus trying to keep himself from gawking at the colossal lobby full of wizards and goblins alike. She also noticed a few wizards whispering amongst themselves, giving the group a few odd looks, but decided to ignore the strangers. Approaching the nearest teller, Xeno took out the Lovegood signet ring and placed it on the counter. The goblin barely lifted his head, but his eyes did widen a fraction at the sight of the signet ring.

"Lord Lovegood, what may I do for you today?" asked the goblin, no emotion on his face. Albus whispered to Luna, asking about absolutely everything.

"Just stay quiet and listen," replied Luna, which was met with a look of alert determination from Albus. Xeno calmly looked back up to the goblin.

"I would like to know if my account manager Gornuk is available for the meeting I scheduled." He was worried they had kicked a hornet's nest by finding Albus, and it showed on his face. Fortunately, his wife noticed and held his hand for reassurance. The goblin disappeared only for a moment, but it was enough to get Albus muttering again. Pandora and Xeno gave up trying to keep him quiet and decided to focus on the goblin and his information.

"The meeting that was booked will be able to proceed. Please follow me." The goblin stood up and made his way across the lobby to a door at the far side. The group of four moved along quietly, following the goblin as quickly as possible. Once out of the main hall, the corridors diverged in all directions, some down to the mine carts and banks vaults, others to the residences of the goblins. The particular goblin they were following went up to the private meeting rooms of the bank. Albus tried his best not to gawk, and glancing at the others, attempting to mirror their stance with some success. He noticed Pandora and Xeno were muttering too, and Luna was in that distant place she would drift off to occasionally. Soon enough they came to a stone door with a simple label:

_Quasi and Pseudo Legal Financial Policies, Ceremonies, and Rituals_

The name meant absolutely nothing to Albus but to his caretakers, it was the moment of truth. Blood identification rituals were commonplace amongst the goblins at Gringotts, but they were only done in extreme circumstances for wizarding families. Finding a bleeding child with no identity near your home certainly counted as an extreme circumstance. The goblin ushered the group through the stone door, and promptly exited. Pandora took the initiative and began the dialogue.

"Hello Gornuk," she softly stated. "May your enemies suffer, may your gold flow free, and may your fortunes ever prosper." Her husband follow suit, as did Luna. Albus quickly realised he was supposed to repeat the phrase and tried to copy. Unfortunately, it did not go as planned.

"Hello Gornuk, sir. May your gold suffer, may your enemies flow free, and may your fortunes ever prosper!" The adults in the room froze. If his blunder was taken as an insult, heads would roll, and Xeno might be dealing with hostile bankers for time and all eternity. Gornuk, who had sat at the desk waiting for the formalities to finish, gave the boy an odd stare, making made all of them quite uncomfortable. Unexpectedly, the goblin cracked a toothy smile, and low rumbling laughter escaped his lips. The entire group was quite confused. Gornuk, catching his breath, began explaining.

"Boy, if I hadn't dealt with Sirius Black himself, I would have been downright insulted. Seeing as you're not even half the clown he was, I'll let it slide this once." A collective sigh came from the humans in the room. "For the record, it doesn't sound like English is your native tongue. So, what is it? Korean?" The boy gave a blank stare. "Chagatai?" No response. "Tagalog?" More confusion appeared on Albus' face. At this point Xeno Lovegood took to clear his throat.

"Gornuk." The goblin's eyes snapped up to the older man full of curiosity regarding the child. "The boy is the crux of the matter today. A few days ago, my wife," gesturing over to the woman seated to his left, "found the child near our home, grievously injured. My wife nursed him back to health." The goblin raised his brow at that remark. "In her defense, St. Mungo's would have been risky if he turned out to not have magic," counter Xeno.

"How wizards administer healing is not Gringotts' concern, Lovegood." Gornuk seemed bemused, and it showed in his face and his voice. "If this tale has to do with your finances or legal work in any way, please make that clear." The man steeled himself and continued the story.

"In the days since his recovery, he has explicitly stated that he has no recollection of who he is, or who his parents are."

"So, you want me to do a test of identity then," concluded the goblin, a slight glint in his eyes.

"Exactly. For all we know the boy could be the lovechild of Sirius Black!"

"Xeno love," chastised the man's wife. "You know better than throw around accusations."

"Especially around his financiers," added Gornuk, with bared teeth. The man cast his gaze from the Goblin back to his wife and softly murmured an apology. Pandora quickly took over the delegation to finish the matter at hand.

"We know that the goblins normally do not perform the test of identity unless an extreme situation demands it, but this is dire. The boy has already been harmed, which means he likely has enemies. He could be scion of a wealthy family. If they manage to find him who knows what they could do!" She knew she was laying it on thick, but her resolve had moved Gornuk. It was the infinitesimally small possibility of losing wealth that incited the goblin to action. He quickly conjured a blank piece of paper and laid it out on the desk.

"Come here boy," he said, gesturing toward the dark-haired child. Albus advanced hesitantly, heart beating out of his chest, eyes wide with fear.

"Oh, there's no need to be scared of me. After all, we don't want you ending up like Xeno over there all terrified of goblins for no good reason." That last remark brought mirth to the goblin's eyes and much bemusement to Xenophilius. Regardless of the teasing, Gornuk's comments allowed Albus to calm himself down enough to listen to what the banker had to say.

"Now, the procedure is quite simple. You will take this knife," drawing a short silver dagger out from under the table as he spoke, "and you will slash it across the palm of your left hand. Once the blood is flowing, let it flow on to the paper. The rest will be handled by the magic. Are we clear?" Albus gave the goblin a skeptical glance and nearly asked him 'why'. However, he knew it was wiser to hold his tongue here and simply do as he was told. He slowly reached for the knife in the goblin's outstretched hand and took it in his own. It was light in his hand, glowing iridescently in the warm light of the room. He steeled himself and with the dagger in his right hand, he made a quick slash across the palm of his left. Sure enough, drops of scarlet blood poured onto the paper, causing an instant reaction. For a few seconds it shone brightly with a myriad of colours, captivating both Albus and Luna, who was peeking over Albus' shoulder. Slowly, the colours slowly took form on the paper, and when the magic dissipated, there was only a large golden hourglass on the paper.

"Is that supposed to happen?" asked Luna quite bluntly. Albus turned to the goblin, expecting a response but only saw the diminutive banker's eyes go as wide as saucers.

"This was unexpected, but procedure still stands," he said, collecting himself. "I will need to take this for consultation for a few minutes." At this, he reached for the paper, and quickly made his way out the door. Xeno breathed a sigh of relief, earning a glare from his wife.

"What?" he asked.

"You need to get your fear under control. You almost botched the meeting quite a few times."

"Yes dear," he sighed. Their attention quickly shifted as Luna spoke up.

"It seemed as though wrackspurts started bothering him. Can goblins be bothered by wrackspurts?" asked the curious girl. Albus seemed just as confused and sure enough, he and Luna were trading questions for several minutes. The minutes dragged on and eventually an uncomfortable anticipation settled on the four. After what felt like hours, Gornuk walked back into the room, almost haggard looking. Clearing his throat, he began speaking, his voice hoarse.

"Given the circumstances of the boy's identity, there are only two things I'm allowed to reveal to you," he announced, slowly making his way back to the desk. The humans in the room leaned in, eager to finally have answers. Gornuk, slow and strained, sat on the plush chair behind the desk he had vacated earlier. Upon reaching the seat, he laid the parchment in his hand on the desk. It was relatively blank, only containing two oddly spaced lines of text and a house crest placed off-centre on the page. "The first piece of information I am permitted to give you is his age. He is 9 years old," he said, pointing at the first line. However, it was the house crest, which ended the pregnant silence with acute gasps from the adults in the room.

Shaped in the Medieval French Style, the escutcheon of the crest held three corbie sable, facing Dexter, on an argent field. Above it stood an azure chevron dividing it from the upper field, gules with estoiles azure and an arm embowed, sword raised. The helm was that of a skull, and the Motto proudly declared "_Toujours Pur." _The Second line of text simply sealed what the crest declared.

"The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black," announced the goblin flatly. "The boy is a scion of this line." Albus looked down at the paper, glanced back to the Lovegood couple, and saw worry and fear in their eyes. His face clouded with confusion as Pandora began to speak.

"S-so the suggestion that Sirius Black is his father was a true statement?" she asked, eyes wide with terror. The goblin brought his clawed hand up to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose, face grave.

"It would appear so."

At that moment, Gornuk would have expected disgust or revulsion to cross the face of the couple. The reaction he saw was truly unexpected to say the least. The two adults pulled the boy into a tight hug, adding to the boy's bewilderment.

"So...is that a bad thing?" asked the boy hesitantly.

"Sirius Black is in prison," said Luna bluntly. "He was accused of hurting a lot of people, including Harry Potter. Well, at least that's what Dad said" Albus' eyes flicked back to Xeno and then to Pandora, hoping for some confirmation.

"That is what we know," admitted Xeno hesitantly. "But that isn't your fault Albus." Albus felt Pandora caress his hair, assuaging his fears just a little.

"And his mother's family?" asked Pandora. Gornuk gave her a serious look.

"That's information I cannot reveal." Albus looked up at his caretakers, and saw them having a conversation with their eyes, though not knowing what they were thinking. It was Xeno who spoke up first.

"Would they come after us if we offered him sanctuary?" Albus thought Gornuk looked impressed.

"I don't believe his mother's family would, no" At those words, Luna's countenance began to brighten.

"Can we keep him? Mum? Dad?"

Albus, who was mulling over the cryptic conversation, was thrown off guard by the last statement. Her parents on the other hand, seemed receptive to her words.

"Gornuk, could you prepare a ritual of sanctuary," asked Xeno, eyes turning to address their host. The goblin gave a curt nod, before calling aloud in his native tongue. As soon as the call finished, two younger ones came through the door, replying in the same language. The short dialogue flew over all human heads in the room, but the younger goblins bowed to their superior in understanding, and hastily departed the room.

"Albus," said Pandora softly, "I know you have not known us very long, but we want to know if you would like to live with our family?"

"From the sounds of it, anyone who finds out who you truly are will be a threat to your safety," Xeno said, glancing down to him. "We want you to be safe from those who wish to harm you."

"Did I forget to mention that Arcturus Black does not know of the boy's existence?" said Gornuk offhandedly. The tension in the Lovegoods' evaporated at the utterance of that simple fact. While this was happening, Albus contemplated everything he had heard. 'Son of a criminal? A family that could be dangerous? One that I don't remember?' His thoughts then turned to what Xeno and Pandora told him. They wanted to protect him. A week ago, they did not even know he existed! It reminded him of James, and he knew James was family, even if he did not remember much else. In a way, they were asking to be his family too!

"Well," he began, noting a slight drop on Luna's face, "I don't remember anything except for the last week of my life. In that week you've all treated me like family and family stays together." The elder Lovegoods flashed smiles of happiness, and Luna had a complete turnabout of demeanour. Just as the boy was agreeing to the proposition, the younger assistants re-entered the room, carrying a bowl of translucent amber liquid. They quickly left it on the desk and exited the meeting room. The humans in the room turned their attention back to Gornuk who began directing the procedure.

"First things first; young one, take the knife again," he said, handing Albus the dagger. Albus began to go through the motion of slashing his palm, but a quick gesture from the goblin, indicating that he made an error. "Boy, I don't need that much blood! Just a prick to the finger will suffice." He did what the goblin instructed, allowing a few drops of blood to pour into the potion, causing it to darken. "Good. Now hand the knife to your Lady Lovegood," Gornuk said, calm having finally returned to his voice. Albus did as he was told, and Pandora took it from his outstretched hand.

"Remember my lady, you must say these words as you perform the task: I offer protection to this ward, safety to this child, and sanctuary to this scion." She repeated the procedure as indicated before handing the knife to her husband. He was hesitant, but continued the process, as per the goblin's instructions. The potion was now a rich ochre colour, and Gornuk began chanting hushed tones in a language that no one but the goblin understood. An ethereal glow filled the basin and the potion became clear as crystal. At this point, Gornuk beckoned Albus forward. He was no longer hesitant and approached as instructed.

"Now, say 'I accept this gift of love' and drink up."

Albus was past the point of questioning, even if he was unsure of what exactly was going on. He tipped his head back and drank the potion out of the bowl, careful not to let any drops fall out. The liquid quickly seared his insides, and he almost dropped the bowl. It took all his effort to stand straight, so he grabbed the nearest hand to keep from keeling over. After what felt like ages, though was probably less than a minute, the pain ebbed away. He opened his eyes cautiously, not realising he had shut them and caught his reflection in the upturned bowl on the desk. He did not appear very different, but the most startling difference was his hair. He now sported a single band of gold through his bangs. Seeing the change, he was a bit surprised at what he saw.

"So, he simply got a haircut?" asked Luna jokingly. Albus spun around, surprised at Luna's comment but smiled when he felt Luna barrel into him, embracing him happily. His guardians quickly joined, and Albus beamed as though he were the luckiest child on earth. Unfortunately, the tender moment was hastened by the coughing sound Gornuk made, drawing their attention back to the matters at hand. After some haggling over payment, some signing of papers, and some choices of naming, a boy once simply known as Albus came out of Gringotts as Albus Eamon Lovegood, 'born' July 31st of 1980, ward of the Lovegood family. Gornuk explained that though he still belonged to his birth family, the protection of the Lovegood family entitled him to their name.

As they exited the massive bank, Albus was surprised at the amount of time it took to complete all the paper work. Dusk was descending, and most stores seemed to be finishing their daily business.

"Well that was a very interesting," proclaimed Xeno. Albus looked up to his new protector and couldn't help but agree. He had heard many things today, some of which were not so pleasant. Noticing this, Pandora quickly bent down and looked him in the eye.

"I know there's a lot to process, but remember you have us as well. Like you said, family sticks together." Hearing his own words repeated back to him, the boy blushed and smiled sheepishly before giving her a brief hug.

"Since the gloves are off, I'm starving!" declared an impatient little girl behind her. She heard Xeno laughing at his daughter's antics.

"Since I'm guessing you're not the only one amongst us feeling that way, I think we should go find a restaurant that's still open," he reasoned cheerfully.

"But the only restaurants still open are muggle," countered his wife.

"Then, who are we to complain of our selection?" he retorted wittily. "To Charing Cross we go!" With that, the new family made happily made their way to the Leaky Cauldron and the world beyond in the fading daylight of the eventful day.

OoOoOoOoO

"That is definitely something no one planned for," stated Griphook bluntly, taking a swig of Grog from the glass. The story of the 'Lovegood' boy had spread amongst the goblins like wildfire, and Gornuk was clearly unsettled by the experience. Griphook had not expected the other goblin would be at his residence drowning his sorrows, especially at this hour when his wife and children were still up.

"There hasn't been an accidental time traveller in centuries! I mean the bank has protocols for intentionals, but this is clearly not intentional!" he bemoaned, taking his own glass and downing the contents in one sip.

"Now, you know that's not true," replied Griphook. "You know there are even protocols for these types of incidents. We know we cannot reveal his true identity before his fourteenth birthday, for one."

"Yes, I know. I know," snapped Gornuk. "But it had to be a Potter!" That last remark earned him a smack from the elder goblin.

"Be quiet! Do you want every goblin that works up top to know?" hissed Griphook. "You did what was asked. Reveal only minor details in regard to his ancestry and leave the humans to make their own assumptions."

"Well, one thing's certain," whispered Gornuk.

"And what's that?" asked Griphook, eyebrows raised, and interest piqued.

"Whatever agenda Dumbledore, Malfoy, or any politician has right now they better throw their plans out the bleeding window. Whenever there's time travellers, there's bound to be hell unleashed." Griphook nodded silently as the two goblins both took a drink in the bowels of the cavern city of Gringotts.

**A.N.-So this brings us to the end of our opening trio of chapters. Questions and comments are appreciated. I will be posting chapter 4 next Wednesday. Until then,**

**Cheers,**

**Cepheus**


	4. Chapter 4

**A.N. Harry Potter and co. are the property of one J.K. Rowling. Although my last name has occasionally been confused for hers, I am not her in any shape or form. There for I do not own any of the work mentioned above**

**ENJOY!**

**Seeing Red**

_Iyoshima General Mages Hospital_

_The Future_

"Healer Kobayashi!" cried a medic as he ran. "The boy's magic is seizing and lashing out again!" Kobayashi Satoko sighed with worry as she went once more unto the breach. She and Sakai-san had been fighting against the young boy's magic for nearly two days, beginning mere hours after his arrival. Despite the temporary respite, nothing they tried could prevent the unconscious child from releasing sports of violent energy. They were worried that they would need to apply magic dampeners in order to contain him, but giving his young age, it could cripple his magic permanently. The soft patter of rain on the windows was starting to give her a headache. Bracing herself, she opened the door to a typhoon of magic. At the centre lay the boy, seizing violently. She and the medic cast shields and began to activate the room's siphoning runes to vent the outburst, moving as quickly as they could to protect Tenrō.

No matter how commonplace this was becoming, it never failed to make her breath hitch. This boy was fighting magic itself to stay alive. The room filled with cold air as the vents sprang to life, finally slowing the maelstrom of energy. The moment the magic died down, the room filled with frantic medics, focused on re-stabilizing the patient. She finally dropped her shield, forehead dripping in sweat, panting from exhaustion. I that moment, she was grateful that Sakai-san was going to relieve her soon.

"Kobayashi-san!" ah, right on cue. Sure enough, Healer Sakai was making his way down the corner. However, he seemed troubled. She mentally frowned and prepared for the worst.

"Sakai-san, what seems to be the problem?"

"The police just notified us that they found the vehicle's remaining occupants." His face was grave, which was not a good omen.

"Dead then?" she asked, hoping otherwise.

"Yes, they brought in four bodies; two male, two female. They said the car exploded, and the driver carried their bodies downstream." The silence stretched between them.

"May they rest in peace then." She stated solemnly, her thoughts turning to Tenrō and his reaction when he found out his whole family was dead. "Has the family been notified?"

"About Tenrō? Yes, we have." The powerful voice surprised the two healers, who spun around instantly. They saw a tall man towering over them, pale and covered in freckles, with a look of concern on his face. His robes linked him to Gringotts almost instantly, and his bright red hair made him easy to spot anywhere.

"Sorry, you are?" Kobayashi asked. The man's accented but intelligible Japanese still surprising the stress-addled healers.

"You were talking about my sister's family, specifically my nephew, Tenrō. Or as we call him, James." He paused before switching back to his native tongue.

"My name is Bill Weasley"

OoOoOoOoO

_Ottery St. Catchpole_

_August 1989_

When Molly Weasley first heard that her neighbor had saved a young boy's life, she did not know what to think. The condition he was in according to Pandora made her heart stop. She had to hug the nearest person, which happened to be her youngest son Ron, in order to keep herself from losing her temper in front of the other woman. That evening certainly had not been any better when she'd asked her husband about it. She wasted no time, as the second Arthur Weasley stepped through the floo she'd rushed to question him.

"Is there any news of missing children at the ministry?" she questioned, tension clearly straining across her features. Arthur, who was caught completely off guard, threw her a look of bafflement at his sudden interrogation. After a few moments, he managed to choke out an answer.

"W-where did that come from?"

"Pandora Lovegood was here earlier today, and you wouldn't believe what she told me," said Molly, clearly losing grip on her temper. Arthur, already looking worn and haggard from a day that was too long for such low pay, sighed in defeat as he braced himself for his wife's latest fit.

"What did she say?" asked the red-haired man indulgently.

"She found a young boy, Ron's age, near the Pond south of Knott's Wood. He-" she faltered momentarily, "He was covered in blood. He was half dead, Arthur!" she exclaimed, her control having gone out the window. She saw him go pale as a sheet, nearly tripping over a nearby chair. In her mind, she was grateful that Bill had taken everyone else down to the river and didn't have to see their parents in such a distraught state.

"Is…is the boy alright?" asked Arthur hesitantly.

"Now he is," she replied. At those words, he breathed a sigh of relief. "But it took Pandora most of that first night to stabilize him. I don't know if I'd have been in a state to do anything like that." Her voice was still shaky, and she was clearly trembling, even though the she had received the news hours ago. Arthur took the cue to embrace his wife, and she welcomed it.

"I'll look around…see what I can find," he whispered, hoping it would calm her down. "I can't do anything that will draw peoples' suspicions. Especially Malfoy's."

"Alright, love," she replied, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "I'm sure the matter will have a solution soon."

OoOoOoOoO

"Hamimimashte, Weasri-san." Though the gesture was meant to be polite, Sakai Kazuko's voice carried a tone of annoyed disdain for the pasty stranger. He was annoyed that the man interrupted their conversation, but slightly relieved he had not needed to break the news to him in such a casual manner. "How exactly are you related to our patient?" Weasley did not look pleased at his apparent condescension, though Sakai supposed that the man _was_ ignorant of the crisis they were attempting to mitigate.

"Like I said, I'm his uncle," he stated, trying to maintain an even tone. "My sister is his mother." _Was_, Sakai mentally corrected. 'He's not going to be happy when he hears of her fate.' Kobayashi-san turned to address him, face full of skepticism.

"And how do we know that is who you truly are? Is Lord Midoyama aware of your arrival?" That last sentence struck a chord, as his face flashed a look of bitterness for the briefest of moments.

"No. No he does not," he stated diplomatically. Sakai was impressed at this man's stoicism, though he supposed it was necessary when one worked for goblins. "But would an unbreakable vow suffice to prove it?"

"Who do you want as arbiter?" she replied smoothly. Sakai was impressed that Kobayashi was calling his bluff.

"Do you trust your colleague?" He fired back without missing a beat. She nodded and offered him an extended hand. Sakai saw the ginger-haired man clasp it firmly. Though as he began to speak the vow, Sakai was startled by Medic Hosokawa, who literally shook Sakai in desperation.

"Healer Sakai, thank goodness, we have a problem with patient Arashi." 'Thank goodness he used the codename they'd given Potter, or this would be more complicated' he thought. Kobayashi-san gave Hosokawa a bemused look but gave him her full attention. The supposed relative watched on in confusion.

"Tempest?" asked Weasley. Hosokawa pushed up his glasses to look at the tall man.

"Oh yes, we have a patient who is emitting violent blasts of magic, like a typhoon."

"Hosokawa!" barked Sakai. He did not want the medic to put his foot in his mouth any further than he had. Hosokawa looked abashed.

"Sorry, sir. It's just that we just received his blood work, and we found out what's causing the problem."

"Finally!" Stated Kobayashi-san, who almost sagged with relief. Hosokawa looked at her with concern.

"I don't think this is something to be relieved over. His blood has been infused with large amounts of time sand." That made everyone hearing freeze. Sakai thought he heard Kobayashi curse profusely. He was stunned. Such a situation was so rare it was practically unheard of. He chose to break the silence.

"We'll have to send him to Kamakura or Chiyoda; we don't have the tools for this." This made his annoying visitor guffaw.

"I'm sorry, what do you mean, 'you don't have the tools for this?'"

"NO ONE HAS THE TOOLS FOR THIS!" Sakai yelled. "You sir need to leave! You are not helping, and we cannot prove that you are related to Potter, and I-"

"I have the tools to deal with time sand."

"You're full of yourself," stated Kobayashi. He responded by pulling a sigil out of his pocket, brandishing the Gringotts logo, his face full of determination.

"Madame, I am a cursebreaker for Gringotts Bank International, with 10 years of experience in Egypt. I know how to defuse time sand curses and heal their injuries. Based on how you reacted to the news and did not dismiss me, I know that Arashi is what you're calling my nephew. Please, let me help him." His eyes shone with desperation and tears. Sakai felt that this whole situation was far beyond his scope. He never expected to be dealing with crisis caused by the most illegal substance in the country. It could cause a scandal if the public found out.

"Weasri-san, how fast can you gather the required materials?" asked his tired colleague.

"Ehhhhh!?" Sakai and Hosokawa were thunderstruck at the implications. Weasley smiled faintly.

"I have some of my equipment with me right now; it shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to prepare it."

"Make it 10, and we will get you sterilized with the remaining 5. Hosokawa escort this man to the operating prep room" The medic was still shocked, but he led the grateful relative away. Sakai took off for the nearest private room, with his fellow healer on his heels.

"Kobayashi, wha-"

"Sakai, think for a moment. The boy is too fragile to move right now, and with every magic burst, he gets weaker and weaker. We need to do something now or he will join the rest of his family in the morgue."

"Have you forgotten that this is beyond our scope, and if the patient dies anyway, they will have our heads for unauthorised procedures?"

"Have you forgotten that we already the country is about to have an international scandal when the world finds out Harry Potter is dead. How much worse will it be when the ICW finds out we let one of Potter's sons die because we refused Gringotts' help? It won't just be the Bureau of Health on our case, it will be the entire world. Do you want that, Kazuo?" A beat of silence passed between them.

"No," he replied meekly.

"Good. Go floo the Head Healer and ram the approvals through, I will grab the medics and prep for the ritual surgery. Meet us as soon as you can." Kobayashi then quickly exited the room, leaving him to stew in his thoughts. It was ironic that despite being fully rested, he felt weary from the turn of events. On the other hand, Kobayashi, exhausted and weary from a long shift, was energized with determination to save the boy. He slipped out into the busy hallway, determined to prevent a diplomatic crisis descending upon Matsuyama.

OoOoOoOoO

In the days that followed, Arthur had no luck in finding any leads on the mystery boy's identity. She reported the findings to Pandora, who was crestfallen at yet another dead end. Molly's curiosity about the boy got the better of her, and she invited Pandora over once more a few days afterward.

"I trust everything is going well," she asked after they'd settled in for tea.

"Oh, everything is wonderful Molly," replied the younger woman, face full of composed elation. Molly, though often unable to read subtle expressions, quickly caught on that something had changed for the Lovegoods.

"And the boy?" she asked eagerly. Pandora smiled.

"His name is Albus, and we've taken him in as a ward," she stated, mixed feelings clouding her eyes. "Since we didn't know much of his identity, we took him to Gringotts," she explained, noticing that Molly was giving her rapt attention. "The goblins revealed only two things to us, his age and his… _family_," she continued, almost sneering the last word. "They don't know he exists. If they did, he would be in grave danger. I'm sorry Molly, I can't tell you who they are, even if you're dying to know." The red headed matriarch was mildly upset that she was that easily read.

"At the very least could you bring him over?" she asked, trying to sound as kind as possible. "Ron's just so lonely all the time and I feel he could suffer because of that. Especially when he goes to Hogwarts." Pandora nodded in mutual understanding.

"I know Luna and Ginny haven't seen each other in a week and half, which is funny because you're all on the other side of the wood. It's not like it's the forbidden forest!" The last comment brought laughter to both ladies' lips. Unfortunately, their reverie ended when what sounded like a loud explosion rocked the living room of the Burrow, followed by a cacophony of yelling. "I should get going. Good luck with the hellions!" said the blonde woman, rising gracefully and almost floating out the door. Unfortunately, Molly knew exactly which sons she meant by 'hellions', and soon enough Fred and George would be in for the worst hell she could throw at them.

-oOoOoOoOo-

After hours of carving, rearranging runes, siphoning off foreign magic, and constant explaining, they had finally done it. Bill Weasley was dead on his feet, but he'd saved his nephew. Though he did admit, without the healers, he would have failed. Healer Kobayashi was a natural with the foreign hieratic and hieroglyphic, while Healer Sakai had been quite impressive as well…when he wasn't thumbing his nose down at him. That was quite a feat seeing as Bill was a fair bit taller than Sakai. While there was no method to remove every last grain of time sand from the body, he was glad that all those years of cursebreaking taught him how to render it inert. Once inert it would be flushed out of the body naturally. It had been years since he'd seen the process in action, but he was glad he remembered enough of it to save James. Otherwise, Ginny would have killed him. Fleur might have killed him too, and maybe his son for letting his favourite cousin die. Now that this crisis was averted, he shuffled to the reception to go find where the rest of James' family was being kept. As he made his way to the elevator, he heard a familiar voice behind him. It filled him with dread and frustration. But, for Harry's and Ginny's sakes, he would be friendly with the 'highly esteemed' Mamoru Midoyama.

"I figured you'd be here." Turning around, he faced the other man with a plastered smile on his face.

"Yes, I supposed that something was wrong when my mirror call showed a distorted image of rocks and trees. Though I would've been here sooner had someone notified me." Being a Gryffindor meant that despite years of dealing with goblins, subtly still evaded Bill. Midoyama would have been a Slytherin had he attended Hogwarts.

"We were unsure what had happened until this morning. My condolences Lord Weasley."

"Please don't call me that." This man was annoying him, but his cryptic wording was also concerning him. "So, you were unaware until today?"

"No, I've left my work and clan duties to relatives and coworkers since last week to be here with Tenrō. It is everyone else for whom we awaited news." There was pool of dread in Bill's stomach. Midoyama had to be messing with him.

"That's not funny."

"You're right, it isn't. Make no mistake Weasley, they are…were good friends of mine. I wouldn't have offered them protection all those years ago."

"Protection," Bill snorted. "That's rich, then why does it sound like your protection failed?"

"Because it did." That caught his attention, and he looked Midoyama in the eye. Bill saw a storm of emotions on the man's face, bags under his eyes, and stubble on his chin. Yet, the grimness lining the other man's face confirmed what Bill feared most. "Harry and Ginny decided to take the family on a weekend around Shikoku. They were on their way to Kochi, when they took a wrong turn, got off the highway, and…went over the Ohashi Dam. When emergency services got to the vehicle, James was the only one inside. They found Harry, Ginny, Teddy, and Lily this morning. They still haven't found Albus."

No.

No, this wasn't real.

But Midoyama rarely addressed them by their personal names.

No, this could NOT be real.

He needed air. Bill swore he was choking.

He couldn't stay there.

So he ran, letting the tears fall as he tore out of the hospital, and into the city below.

He refused to believe it. Not after Fred.

Not after Ron.

Not after Dad.

The streets blurred by, before he found an alley were he fumbled with the French portkey and sent himself home.

**A.N. As I mentioned earlier, this is an AU. However, this AU didn't start with Albus showing up in the timeline. The 'for want of a nail' began in the original timeline and it will become clear with time what that is. Hence why the DH epilogue is only partially followed. The OCs will be there early on in James arc, but will not choke out main parts of that arc.**

**Again, comments and reviews are appreciated,**

**Cheers,**

**Cepheus**


	5. Chapter 5

**A.N. Sorry for the late update, I had two uni papers to finish.**

**If you recognise it, it's not mine. Harry Potter and co. still owned by J.K Rowling. So without further ado,**

**Friends and Family**

Arthur Weasley was always tired. Work at the ministry, as all other places, was a seven-day week, and working from three in the morning to six at night was absolutely excruciating. Yet he bore it all to provide for his children and their needs. It was a great relief that Bill had become a cursebreaker, and it had been an even greater relief he had received a job at Gringotts. However, that still left his three youngest sons and his daughter going to Hogwarts in a few years. It was times like this where he wished Hogwarts was more like those muggle schools he saw on his way to work. Oh no, he loved Hogwarts and the experiences he, his wife, and children had or would have there, but it was so hard to afford the rates, the supplies, and still have to provide for all the other parts of life. That evening he had walked in expecting the usual mayhem, only to find it was unusually quiet. No screaming Percy, no whining Ron, no explosions courtesy of the twins, not even a bat bogey hex flying across the room.

"Arthur, is that you?" called a feminine voice from beyond his sight. At that moment, the tired man saw his wife enter the living room, holding her wand in one hand, followed by a floating knife chopping potatoes mid-air. She seemed to be elated about something he could not quite put his finger on.

"It's awfully quiet in here. Usually the twins are harassing poor Ron at this moment," he said wearily.

"Well," Molly began, her eyes pointed at the ceiling as though mentally checking of a list, "Bill's still at Gringotts. He said he'd be late. I told Charlie to take Ginny, Ron, and the twins down to the Torridge, and Percy's over at the Clearwater's with his friends." Arthur was surprised that his wife managed to clear the Burrow of its younger inhabitants so effectively. The question in his mind was why. He cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, come now, I know you think I'm up to something," she retorted, seeing through his suspicions.

"Why is everyone gone? Are we trying for a second daughter?" he asked half-jokingly.

"Arthur Claudius Weasley! You know we can't afford another child," she scolded, throwing an unintentional barb that stung nonetheless. He smiled to mask the hurt. "Really Arthur, all I wanted to do is speak to you about a somewhat delicate matter and ask you a favour. Is that too much to ask?" He sighed.

"No dear, tis not." He made a move to sit on a nearby couch. "What do you wish to tell me?" Following his lead, his wife banished the knife and potato to the kitchen with her wand and sat down next to him.

"You remember the boy Pandora found last week?" she asked.

"How could I not? I remember Ron claiming you almost killed him by smothering." She shot him a glare, and his chuckle faltered.

"As I was saying, the Lovegoods decided to take him since no one else has claimed him, even at the bank." His eyes widened at the sound of the surprising news.

"He's a Lovegood now?"

"I believe so. Albus Eamon Lovegood, if I'm not mistaken. Odd name, isn't it? I decided to invite the Lovegoods over for dinner, so we could finally meet him." Arthur felt a sinking feeling in his chest.

"I take it have to be there, don't I?" he asked. His response was met with a look of disappointment.

"Really Arthur? It's the very least you could do here," she huffed.

"If I had any space in my schedule, you know I would use it to spend time with you and kids in a heartbeat. I mean it, but with the recent upswing in deliveries-"

"Deliveries? Arthur, why would the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office have deliveries?" she said, puzzled. His heart raced as he realised his slip.

"There've been recent raids all over the country, and objects are flooding in like locusts," he lied, barely keeping his tone level. Molly cocked an eyebrow.

"I hope they're paying you overtime for this. Merlin knows we need it."

"Don't worry, love. That's included because of the backlog." Her suspicion was replaced with a faint smile of understanding.

"It's fine then dear. I'll have them over and make sure the twins behave."

"Did you call us, mother dearest?" The voice caused Arthur to turn back and look at Fred, or was it George? standing in the doorway. Moments later, the other one reached the door and as if on cue, continued.

"We didn't do anything this time."

"Or are you still mad at us for yesterday?" continued the first.

"I bet you she is George," retorted the second.

"YOU TWO! If I see so much as a toe out of line when the Lovegoods come over, I'll make you sure you two won't speak from now until September 1st! DO. I. MAKE. MYSELF. CLEAR?

"Yes mother," they said, sighing slightly.

"Good. Now where are your siblings?" At that moment, the Weasley patriarch noticed Ron, Ginny, and Charlie bolt through, bounding to the dinner table.

"NO RUNNING!" howled Molly, and the Burrow descended into the usual chaos that was dinner.

-oOoOoOoOo-

Albus was quite excited to go to the Weasleys. Luna told him about all the fun times she had with Ginny up in Knott's Wood, the River Torridge, the fields, and even by the River Waldon over the hill.

"So are they all gingers?" he asked tactlessly.

"Yes, I bet you it's all the potatoes they eat. They're full of karotene you know," relied Luna.

"Luna darling it's called_ carotene_ and it's found in carrots, not potatoes," chided Pandora. "Good observation though."

Luna shrugged it off, and Albus snickered at the humour of the observation. He thought it was a bit sad that Mr. Xeno couldn't be with them because he was still working on news articles. At least, that's what he said after they found out Mr. Weasley couldn't come. He thought he saw his guardians wink, but assumed it was something they did. As he, Pandora, and Luna crossed the hill, he caught sight of the Burrow for the first time and it was quite a sight to see. The four-story tower stood proudly, with odds and ends sticking out in all directions, miraculously standing as though by magic. In spite of it all, Albus could only find one word to describe it all.

"Brilliant," he breathed.

"Come! Ginny's got six brothers, and I'm sure you'll like them." With that, she took off down the hill, and he rushed to catch up. His honour was on the line! As the two of them bolted towards the strange house, he felt an unusual feeling. It was almost as if he knew this place. As though he had been here many years ago.

"You need to start running more Albus; Stop listening to the wrackspurts!" cried Luna, breaking him out of his daydream. "'Cause the way you're doing it, I'll always win!" He scowled slightly but conceded defeat earnestly. It took a few moments for Pandora to catch up, but when she did, the three Lovegoods made their way through the garden gate and up to the front door. His guardian rapped on the door quickly and was greeted by assorted noises on the other side. After a few seconds, someone actually opened said door, and when she did, Albus was speechless. Here stood a fiery haired woman, broad and proud, a smile etched on her face, ready to welcome him into her home. The déjà vu he was experiencing earlier suddenly came back, and for the first time in a week, his past began to resurface.

He remembered a rundown, half-ruined version of this house, packed to the brim with people. He remembered feeling uncomfortable, especially around all the loud, hyperactive children who were his cousins. Sure, he loved hanging out with them, but he had never had them all in the place all at once. He just remembered hiding in a corner reading his book, before a shadow appeared behind him.

"Albus? What are you doing back here?"

"Reading a book, Obāchan!" he said in soft, accented English. He recalled turning around and seeing his grandmother, who looked like Mrs. Weasley. However, his grandmother looked much older, had far more lines on her face, far less meat on her bones, and weary eyes.

"Why don't you go play with your cousins, dear?" she prompted. "You have travelled a long way, and they are quiet excited to meet you."

"But is too loud, Obāchan! It's much softer back home." She looked a bit saddened.

"This would've been your home too if Minister Kingsley hadn't been killed," she said thoughtlessly. She only realised what she'd said a beat later, eyes widening from surprise. He remembered wondering who that was and wanting to press further, but someone calling his name broke the trance. He noticed all eyes were on him, even those of the Weasley boys peering behind their mother.

"Albus are you alright?" asked Pandora, slightly worried. Turning to her he gave a slight smile.

"Yes Aunt Pan, I'm fine. Mrs. Weasley reminded me of someone." He noticed his mother's eyes widen slightly, full of excitement.

"Do you want to talk about it now or later?" asked his guardian. Albus gave it some thought before looking at her again.

"Later. Right now, I want to meet everyone!"

"Alright, we'll speak of this later. Now what do we do when we meet new people?" she reminded.

"Oh," he said, promptly turning back to the red headed matriarch, giving her a slight bow and then offering his hand. "Mrs. Weasley, it's a pleasure to meet you. Albus Lovegood." She gave him a warm smile and a hug in return. That surprised him a bit.

"Albus, I've known Pandora for years. Please call me Aunt Molly. Luna does it." Luna bobbed her head in agreement.

"Well, I'll be," said one of the identical looking boys.

"Looks like ickle Luna's got a brother of her own!" said the other. Albus liked the idea of being someone's brother.

"Now we have more guinea pigs!" the cried together, earning a glare from their mother. That idea he did not like as much but was sure they were joking.

"I'm Fred," said the first.

"No, I'm Fred," retorted the second.

"Well then I must be George," declared the first.

"Pleasure to meet you!" Albus shook both their hands and gave them slight bows as well, and slowly the entire group made its way into the living room. He met Percy, who seemed very pompous, Charlie, who started messing with the twins, and Ginny, who dragged off Luna shortly afterwards.

As Albus was sitting quietly listening to the twins, he noticed a taller teen (Charlie perhaps?) lounging, his gaze directed at the stairs.

"Oi, anybody know where Ron is?" he asked, realization dawning on his mother's face as well.

"RONALD WEASLEY GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" Albus thought he went deaf for a moment and wondered how anyone in this house still had their hearing. Sure enough, a sluggish stomping of feet down the stairs revealed a short red-headed boy similar in age to himself. He seemed halfway between tired and sulking, giving a nasty scowl to the room's inhabitants.

"I'm up! Did I miss breakfast?" he asked, yawning.

"No, we just wanted you up by the first light of day," said George, or Fred earning him a glare from the young boy. Albus gave smile and a small wave to him, resulting in a very confused Ron.

"Who are you? Are you the kid that almost died near the pond?"

"Ron! Use some tact for Merlin's sake!" huffed Molly. Albus giggled a bit and Ron looked at his feet, head hung in shame.

"I'm Albus," he said, bowing and extending his hand. The boy's head snapped up and looked at it suspiciously but accepted it when he didn't see any malice on Albus' face.

"I'm Ron," he said, smiling back. Despite the rocky start, the two boys became fast friends as Ron took it upon himself to explain every detail about quidditch to him, along with witty barbs from the twins and the occasional input from Charlie. Ron seemed to be over the moon to have someone his age to talk to, and Albus, eager to meet as many people and know as much as possible, was happy to oblige. Eventually the conversation shifted towards siblings, and Ron was very vocal about two in particular.

"Don't trust them, ya hear? They could strike at any moment." Albus laughed.

"Oh c'mon! They can't be that evil," he said, only to have Ron turn whiter than a sheet. "What? Is there something in my teeth? Are the twins behind me?" Ron started babbling incoherently, clearly gripped by fear.

"Sp-sp-sp-SPIDER! AAAAAAHHHHH!" he screamed. Laughter peeled out behind Albus, causing him to turn around. Seeing no one there, he turned around, and he saw that one twin had his petrified younger brother in a headlock, while the other ruffled Ron's hair.

"Mission accomplished, George?"

"I would say so, Fred"

"No do you see what I mean?" asked Ron desperately.

"Oh come now Ron, it was just an ickle illusion…" began Fred.

"…that just happened to make Albus appear to have a spider on his head," finished George, erupting into a fresh round of laughter.

"I do see what you mean, Ron," said Albus pensively. "They're sneaky, cunning, clever, and when they have a goal in mind, they don't let go."

"And what goal would that be?" huffed Ron.

"Drive you crazy," he replied bluntly. The delivery got a laugh out of everyone, even Ron.

"Why thank you," they replied, offering a similar bow to the one he used when greeting them.

"Such an honour to be acknowledged," said Fred.

"Reminds us of Grannie Cedrella's compliments," added George wistfully.

"Ronnie, this one's a keeper," joked Fred, earning a nasty scowl from the younger boy.

The rest of the afternoon proceeded in the same playful manner, with Ginny and Luna eventually joining in the ruckus. Sadly, all good things must come to end, and sure enough, Albus and Luna were saying their good-byes to the Weasley clan. Walking up the hill, Albus listened to Luna talking about what she enjoyed, while he joked with her.

"I'm sure you two can handle yourselves tomorrow," said his mother calmly. He glanced to Luna who looked just as confused as he did both silently agreeing to let her continue. "What? Do you think that I wouldn't let you go visit again even though I can't go? They are our neighbours after all." At these words, he and his…sister cracked eager grins because both knew one thing was certain.

This summer was going to be brilliant.

A.N. Thank you to all who favourited and followed this story, it is appreciated.

Cheers,

Cepheus


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N. 'Lo there everyone! If you recognise it, it's not mine. Harry Potter and co. still owned by J.K Rowling**.

**Lost Dreams**

_Iyoshima General Mages Hospital_

_The Future_

Over the last few days, Kobayashi Satoko watched the gossip fly around the hospital. When the news broke that the Potters had died, thousands of English wizards had flocked to their Yoshiumi home, creating a makeshift shrine to their 'Chosen One'. Based on the media reports, some had arrested by the aurors for violence, muggle baiting, and attacking Japanese mourners dressed in white. Satoko found the whole thing unnerving. She felt bad for the English expatriate community here in the home islands as they would likely bare the blame of this stupidity in the magical community's eyes. Wonderful people like the Scamanders were nothing like the idiot they showed on the news last night, Smith or Smythe or something like that.

Despite the gaijin related chaos and diplomatic fallout, she was mostly relieved that no one had discovered that Tenrō was here in the hospital. The family had been discreet, with only Bill, his wife, and his mother having visited, all under glamour. She saw how broken they looked, and how much it pained them to leave the boy's side, but in order to through off suspicion and protect him, they had to limit their time in the hospital. In all her time as a healer, this was one of the most agonizing situations she experienced. It was difficult for the healer to not be so invested in this case, after having fought for a week against the boy's own magic. She glanced over to him as she finished his check-up. He looked so pale, despite having removed most of his bandage's days ago. Physical injuries were fixable she thought, but magical injuries took time. They had tried to bring him out of coma yesterday and that nearly stopped his heart. No this would just have to take time.

"Are you finished with the other 5 patients?" Satoko recognised the weariness in Sakai-san's voice more than ever before

"Half an hour ago, Sakai-san," she replied, not bothering to look up at him.

"Then shouldn't you be on break?" he asked worriedly. She looked up, taking in the dishevelment that was becoming commonplace for both of them.

"I will when the family returns," she replied.

"Kobayashi-san, they'll be gone all day for the funeral." That was something she hadn't realized. "Take a break, hmm?"

She looked at him blankly.

"He reminds me so much of Kimiko," she replied softly.

"I think you need to go see her," said Sakai.

"Please don't make me more conflicted Sakai. I need to care for my patients."

"And your daughter needs to see you before she drives her obāchan insane," he retorted. "I will take care of Arashi. Besides, Hosokawa gave me Watanabe's analysis of the boy's magic. He won't be ready to revive from the coma for a few more days at least." Satoko knew what he was saying was true. Sighing, she admitted defeat.

"Alright, I will go take some leave, but let me know if anything changes." She saw him nod.

"I will, but for now, his soul is off on its own adventure while his magic heals his body."

"I didn't know you were a poet." He smiled.

"Have a good weekend Satoko. We will see you soon."

oOoOoOoOo

Where was he? This wasn't his bedroom. It was dark almost pitch black. Albus didn't know how he got to be there, but he didn't feel very safe. In the distance, he heard whimpering. Even though he felt afraid, he groped through the darkness to find the source. Wandering, he saw a faint light in the distance, from where the sobbing seemed to emanate. As he made his way closer, he noticed a boy, older than him by perhaps two or three years, huddling underneath a bare lightbulb. 'So that's who's crying,' thought Albus, gingerly approaching the youth. As he neared the other boy, he could make out mumbling in a language that he did not understand.

"H-Hello?" he called. The boy, head drooping, only mumbled in response.

"I'm sorry, didn't catch that. What did you say?" asked Albus, nudging the boy.

"Sumimasen," he mumbled. Albus was confused by the strange response. Then suddenly, as though a switch turned on in his mind, Albus understood every word the crying boy uttered. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," he chanted.

"Pardon?" Albus said, even more confused.

"MY FAULT!" screamed the boy, erupting into a fresh round of sobbing. Albus flinched at the incoherent accusation. However, he felt sorry for the mourning youth in front of him, so he came close and pulled the boy into a strong hug. Initially the boy went rigid, but he calmed down, sobbing his eyes out on the younger boy's shoulder. This was all very confusing for Albus, but he didn't back away. It felt like the right thing to do. After what seemed like ages, the strange boy looked at Albus, giving him a chance to get a good look at his face. He was starting to lose his baby fat, but still looked fairly impish. He had dark auburn hair, hazel eyes, and many freckles.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

"For what?" asked Albus honestly.

"For being here for me. I just lost my fam-"his voice faltered again, and tears threatened to pour from his eyes. Albus simply pulled him close.

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault," he said softly, trying his best to deal with the unusual situation.

"But it was! If I hadn't distracted dad with that stupid necklace, he would've avoided the deer, and we wouldn't have fallen over the dam and exploded!" he moaned, still clearly upset.

"That wasn't your fault!" cried Albus. "You didn't know the deer was there unless you're a seer! I mean you aren't a seer, are you?" That confused the older boy.

"What? No!"

"Then it's not your fault."

"But I brought the necklace to play a prank on my little brother, and then it exploded when we crashed. That's why dad and mum couldn't stop us from falling with their wands. And I saw Saburō disappear!"

"Oh," said Albus softly.

"Yeah, oh!" replied the other boy sharply. What could Albus say? 'Oh, I'm sure he's ok wherever he is?' It would not be much comfort to the boy. James was getting more agitated by the second and Albus saw that his anger caused sparks to fire from his hands, like accidental magic-

'wait magic could be accidental?' thought Albus, before attributing the surprise to his slow recovery of his memories.

The awkward silence lasted about a minute before Albus asked the other child a question.

"Do you know where we are?" The older boy sighed before answering.

"In a dream, I think. I mean, Master Mamoru says that sometimes dreams can be real places because of magic" he replied. "Or I'm in a coma. I don't remember going to sleep and it feels like I've been here a while."

"Ooh! So, if this is a dream, do you think we can control it?"

"I dunno," he shrugged, trying to mask his previous emotions.

"why don't we try. Think about a bowl of plums," Albus instructed. The older boy gave him a deadpan stare before humouring his younger counterpart. Albus' scrunched look of determination yielded no results. Neither did the halfhearted attempts of the boy.

"Oh well, it didn't work."

"That's cause you weren't trying! Here get up," and with that Albus dragged him to his feet, which nearly sent both of them tumbling down.

"you're really heavy," huffed Albus.

"And you're really strong for a little punk," retorted his…friend. The boy continued to stumble around awkwardly, as though he had forgotten the skill of walking, until he fell face forward. The only thing that saved him was the mattress that magically appeared beneath him. Albus beamed.

"See! I told you!" That was met with a look of real annoyance from the clumsy boy, who pulled himself off the mattress and began to chase him. Albus squawked before taking off, hoping he could avoid retribution. Yet despite his friend's clumsiness, he still managed to trap Albus in a headlock by feigning and distracting the young boy. The resulting hair-ruffle reminded Albus a lot of Fred and George.

"So, do you a yield?" laughed the boy.

"I yield, I yield!" choked out Albus between laughs. They both then collapsed on the mattress beside each other. "So now that we know we can shape the dream, what are you going to change?" looking over, Albus saw him deep in thought.

"Well for starters, the scenery. The single light amidst the darkness gave way to a starry sky over a large bay. From there vantage point on a mountain, they could see islands lighting up in the distance, connected by a huge bridge, casting its reflection on the dark water. It was breathtaking.

"Is this your house?" asked Albus.

"No that's down that way," replied the other, pointing to a path leading down the slope.

"Where are we?"

"Yoshiumi. Across the bay there is the bridge to Imabari, which is actually behind us," he explained, pointing to the bright haze that outlined the mountaintop above them. The explanation seemed to spark something in Albus' brain.

"Sounds familiar, but it doesn't sound like it's around here."

"Oh? Then where are you from, little punk?" asked the boy, a hint of mirth entering his voice, much to Albus' bemusement.

"It's a small town called Ottery St. Catchpole in Devon."

"Otori san Kajuporu!? That's ridiculous! Sounds like one of those places my parents lived in their old stories," he announced chuckling.

"So, you're from England?" asked Albus tactlessly.

"No, my parents are from England. Well, I guess my older brother is too, but he left when he was little. Me and the rest of my siblings are…were…Japanese citizens." Albus saw the haunted look creeping on to his face.

"Oh, sorry," replied Albus, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"It's fine. My whole life is…was here with my dad, my mum, my older brother who likes to change his hair a lot, me, my" he was struggling with his emotions, but he continued, "my little brother and my baby sister." Albus tried to smile and not talk about the heavy things.

"Wow, I've got Luna, who I think is my sister, and Xeno and Auntie Pan, who take care of me" replied Albus.

"Always remember to appreciate them," said the older boy somberly, "because you never know if that'll be all the time you get with them." His words were increasingly strangled, and it made Albus a little sad. He decided to continue to get to know the boy, in order keep lighting up the conversation. However, he wasn't sure if he wanted to share his name with a stranger in case he knew the Black family. And he did want to follow the rule Xeno told him about, but how could he introduce himself without sharing his name? The idea came like lightning.

'I guess that's what middle names are for,' he mused.

"By the way, I'm Eamon. What's your name?" The other boy cocked an eyebrow, looking quite surprised.

"Huh, I didn't think you were an Eamon."

"What did you think I was called?"

"You look more like an Al," he replied pensively. That quickened Albus' heartrate; from fear or excitement he wasn't sure. Yet, his guardians had impressed upon him to not tell strangers his first name.

"Nope, definitely not Al," he replied quickly. "But you still haven't shared your name." An impish grin blossomed on the boy's face.

"I have many names," he began dramatically, "Seiryū, little demon, that kid, a Midoyama clansman, Potta-san, imp. The list goes on and on really."

"But what's the name you go by?" reiterated Albus.

"Ah! My 'first' name." he replied grinning.

"Which is?" huffed Albus.

"An approximate translation of my father's Godfather's name, who passed away when he was young."

"Yes, BUT WHAT'S YOUR NAME!?" he cried impatiently. The boy laughed.

"My name is… Tenrō."

At the moment Albus' eyes snapped open, ending the strange dream with streams of sunlight pouring though his bedroom window. Why was it so familiar?

**A.N. Comments always welcome, **

**Cheers, **

**Cepheus**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello Everyone! Sorry for not posting last week, I was out of town, and didn't really have time to post this, but without further delay, **

**A.N. My ownership over these characters is nonexistent. They belong to the renowned J.K. Rowling. **

**Lazy Summer Days**

Luna listened as her brother told her his strange dream and wondered what it could mean. Could it be the Nargles messing with his head again? Could he be a seer, and that was a vision? Could it be symbolic of his past life, like the book in father's library about Sy-ko-nalsis said?

"Um, hello? Earth to Luna!" joked Albus.

"Oh, sorry! I was just wondering what it could mean," she said dreamily.

"Exactly! I don't want Auntie Pan to get her hopes up or be angry, because I've got no idea what this one means," he huffed. "And the worst part is that I can't remember most of it. Just Tenrō and the night sky."

"Well, I don't think mum will be mad. Maybe if we get some breakfast, we could work this out later."

"Or would could just go down to the Waldon like you suggested," replied Albus, clearly trying to put the whole event behind them.

"Oooh! That sounds like a better idea!" replied an excited Luna as they walked down the stairs to the kitchen. When they entered, they encountered rich aromas and joking parents.

"Oi! Just because you finished your part Xeno doesn't mean you sit down, you lazy bugger!" cried Pandora.

"Um Evie? You just said that in front of Albus and Luna," he replied hastily, using her middle name to avoid her wrath. Luna and her brother giggled at that comment. Pandora glared at her husband anyway. Xeno sighed.

"Oh fine. Come," he gestured to the two children, "let's help your mother finish grilling plantain," said Xeno, rising from his chair.

"But what about rice and pickled plums?" asked Albus a bit desperately. He definitely wanted some comfort food at the moment.

"You really like those don't you?" teased Luna.

"We can't have those every day, Albus," explained their mother calmly. "If we did, you would get bored of them quite quickly. Today we're trying omelet and fried plantain instead. Is that ok?"

"Fine," replied Albus glumly. Luna, wanting to make him feel better, dragged him to help cook said fruit, resulting in multiple incidents. It was quite hilarious really, especially when her father slipped on one of the peels. She hoped he hadn't cracked his tailbone when he fell. After an hour of this repetitive cycle of cooking and falling, breakfast was finally ready.

"There! Was that so hard, Xeno?" asked Pandora sweetly.

"Yes actually. I don't see you all black and blue at the expense of banana peels," he replied, slightly bemused.

"Plantains, love," she corrected. Luna and Albus just laughed. They settled into a delicious silence of eating, until Xeno decided to quiz her and her brother for the sake of quizzing.

"Now children, I trust you've been reading." They nodded their heads. "I see you in the library so often that I'd like to think so." The quasi-siblings gave another nod. "I see. Well _It was God who suffered them, though he restrained them…"_

"_They landed with horror, with lofty deed…" _replied Albus.

"_In their cloud of mighty combat of spectres…"_continued Luna.

"_Upon a mountain of Conmaicne of Connacht," _they finished. Xeno smiled. They had poured over a giant tome just to get that information, but it had been a quiet, fun afternoon.

"Ah, the _Lebor Gabála Érenn_. The story of the Tuatha Dé Danann, first wizards to reach Ireland. A wise pick," beamed the elder Lovegood. "You know our family is from Ireland," he began explaining to Albus.

"Here we go again," muttered Pandora. "I'm glad I stick to my potions. Four pepper-ups, a draught of peace, six spattergoit remedies, two wolfsbane and Bob's your uncle!" Luna noticed her father seemed mock-hurt at that comment.

"Fine! I shall be off to the printing press!" he declared.

"You mean the basement," stated Pandora flatly.

"Yes that!" he huffed. "And if Reggie Cattermole flooes, tell him his article's due tomorrow, no exceptions." He blustered down the stairs the instant he'd finished his mock tirade, but quickly turned around, popping his head out the door. "Oh and I left the letter from your mother on the mail desk," he mentioned, before returning to his predetermined task.

"Thank you!" she called to him, laughing at his dramatics.

"Well that was fun, but those potions aren't going to brew themselves," her mother mused. "Play safe dears and be back for lunch. Oh, and don't forget that you're both helping me this afternoon in the lab," with those words, Pandora Lovegood grabed her mail, and drifted upstairs. Seeing as they were the only two left in the room, Luna glanced to her brother. He glanced back to her with a wicked smile on his face.

"Last one to the river is a rotten snortkack!" he cried, bolting out the door. It took her a moment to process what had just happened, but when she did, she took off right after him. He was clearly ahead of her. She didn't even see him the whole time. When she finally got to the river bank, she hadn't seen hair nor hide of her brother.

"Albus?" she called. Suddenly, a hand waved at her through the grass. As she approached, she saw Albus flat on his back, panting.

"Are you alright?" she asked reluctantly.

"Give…me…a minute…gah!" he panted, gasping for a lungful of air.

"What happened," she said worriedly. After a few more moments, he managed to catch his breath.

"I think I accidentally apparated," he stated. "I wanted to beat you here, and you know I don't run fast, so I tried to speed myself with magic. Well, it worked. Too well. Gah!"

"Breathe! Isn't this why mum tells us to be careful with magic?"

"Yeah," he admitted sheepishly. "But it felt like something familiar."

"Familiar?" asked Luna.

"Yeah familiar," replied Albus. "Like I'd already learned how to do it."

"But mummy says that you can't do that until you're grown up," stated a confused Luna.

"But I remember doing it before!" Albus insisted. "I accidentally did it in class while we were learning Lumos!" he exclaimed. There was a beat of surprised silence, before Luna grinned at his outburst.

"You remembered!" she exclaimed. "It looks like the Nargles are leaving your brain." She saw how his face shifted from shock to surprise to excitement.

"Yeah I did!" he laughed. "Well I guess I went to school." Luna thought hard about this new information.

"Well you should tell mum and dad because that helps figure out where you came from."

"Ok, I'll do that when we get home."

"Good. You know, you're the only big brother I know that lets himself be bossed around by his younger sister," she said smirking.

"That's 'cause I'm your only brother," he deadpanned, looking up at her in bemusement. She found it amusing. She offered him a hand, and he was quickly back on his feet. They decided to start looking for anything different, or that caught the eye. She quickly managed to point out a purple rock, a whaup's nest, and four dragonflies. Albus found a heron, a spider's web covered in dew, and a rat that looked uglier than Scabbers. The mid-August sun beat high in the sky, not a cloud in sight; it was unusual weather, but Luna loved it all the same. They were looking at a flock of Moorhens, when Albus' attention shifted abruptly.

"Hey what's that over there," he pointed. She turned her gaze in that direction and was amazed at what she saw. There, under the willows, between the cormorants and the dippers, was a flock of giant birds like she'd never seen before. Bright gold feathers lined their backs and wings, while dark sapphire feathers lined their breasts and stomachs. Their heads were like those of falcons, but their bodies were similar to herons. They stood regal and proud, almost as though they owned the river and everything in its environs.

"They're Adar," breathed Albus. It suddenly clicked for Luna.

"Adar Llwch Gwin! Of course!" she cried. "They're much more beautiful in person."

"Obviously! That old book made them look like fat, oversized cranes!" he laughed. "Well do you wanna call them over here?" Luna shrugged.

"You remember that even though they understand human speech, they'll take your words literally. They must be migrating to Antilla for the winter." Albus nodded in agreement, and they went back to staring at the beautiful birds. After spending ages admiring them, the majestic birds suddenly took off, followed by swarm of plovers, dunlins, and goosanders. As they watched the departing swarm, Luna remembered what their mother told them.

"Hey, do you know the time?" she asked the boy. He gazed up at some indefinite point as he thought about it.

"Haven't the foggiest," he stated bluntly, looking back to her.

"Why don't you try to get it magically?" asked Luna.

"After nearly fainting of exhaustion?" he teased.

"Just do it."

"Fine, fine, give me a moment," he said. He scrunched his face as he strained to produce any effect. Sure enough, Luna noticed to faint analog clock hands appear in the air.

"You did it!" she cried of excitement. He looked at his work and smiled. The smile quickly faded as he realised the time the hands read.

"We're late!" he exclaimed, grabbing her hand and running. She quickly pulled ahead of him in a race to get back home first. She came to a skidding halt in front of the back door, and bolted into the kitchen, Albus right on her heels.

"Ah right on time," said a voice in the other room. "Oh Luna?" it continued, hinting frustration. She recognized when her mother was upset, so she forced herself to wear a distant gaze and floated into the dining room. Rounding the corner, she saw her mother holding a struggling rabbit.

"Hello mother, is something wrong? You look awfully blue today. Did the heliopaths try to gouge out your eyes again?" she replied, soft and dreamy.

"Nice try. You know I've been able to see through that since you were six," replied her mother, clearly not amused. The fact that the rabbit began trying to bite her didn't help improve matters either.

"I wanted to make sure it was safe last night. It could've been fox prey the way it looked," she pleaded.

"That's all fine and dandy, but when it nearly crawls into a vat of Felix felicius, then it's a menace to my workplace," she said sternly. Luna heard Albus munching away on lunch back in the kitchen and sighed finally looking back to her mother.

"Fine I'll put it back in the thicket," she said in hushed tones.

"And you'll be helping me clean out some of the cauldrons too. Don't think you're getting off that easy," she continued.

"I'm done Auntie Pan" called her brother, passing through the hallway, and up the stairs.

"Don't touch anything before I get there!" replied her mother in suit. As she reached for the restless rodent that she'd been tasked to 'dispose' of, she got an idea.

'Next time you get curious, make sure Albus is your alibi.'

-oOoOoOoOo-

Ron was anxious. In the past week and a half he'd known Albus, they'd become fast friends. Life was much more fun when he had a friend around, even if he put his foot in his mouth more times than he could count. He also had pretty funny stories, like what happened when Luna left a rabbit in their house the other day. However, Albus was late today. 'He's never late,' thought the boy. 'Maybe he doesn't want to be around me anymore, or maybe he liked my brothers better, or maybe-'

It was at that moment that Albus came bounding over the hill near Knott's Wood, clear excitement on his face. Whatever worry Ron was feeling, it quickly vanished as he shot the other boy a genuine smile. Albus came careening down the hillside, momentum propelling him headlong into Ron, and straight into the ground.

"Geroff me Al!" laughed Ron. The other boy smirked.

"Maybe I should call dog pile," suggested Albus mischievously, earning him a punch in the back from the ginger on the ground. "Alright, Alright, I'm up!" he cried, hauling himself upright. After dusting himself off, he offered Ron a hand.

"So whacha wanna do?" asked Ron.

"Well we've done a lot of things around here. We've even been in my dad's library," joked Albus.

"Hey that's only cause your dad's got tons of wicked things in there," exclaimed Ron.

"Like books?" grinned Albus.

"And other things."

"So the great Ron Weasley agrees he likes books."  
"Yea-wait what?" asked a very confused Ron.

"You said 'and other things' meaning you liked the books to begin with," explained the dark-haired boy.

"But I-I didn't mean-," he sputtered while Albus laughed.

"I'm only messing with you, mate." Ron breathed a sigh of relief. "But seriously, I saw you, and you did like the books in there."

"Yeah…I guess you're right," he admitted. "But that still doesn't solve the problem. What are we gonna do today?"

"We could always go down to Ottery St. Catchpole," suggested the other boy.

"Ottery St. Catchpole? Really Al? The muggles?" asked Ron, almost gob smacked at the idea.

"Why, not? I mean there's really nothing better to do here, might as well go up the road to town," stated Albus in a reasoning tone.

"You're strange, Al."

"I am a Lovegood, am I not?" Ron couldn't help but laugh, quickly following the other boy who'd begun the march to town already.

It took nearly twenty minutes to get there, seeing as they'd had to take the long way around, but when they got there, Ron was mesmerized. Glancing over to Albus, it was clear he was just as amazed as the taller boy was.

It wasn't a large town, but everything about it was fascinating to young wizards who'd never been exposed to the muggle world before. The lorry by the church, the lamppost, random ladies chatting each other up about 'politks', and most importantly, the shiny coin on the ground.

"It's a pound I think," declared Ron as Albus picked it up.

"Well that's what it says on the coin."

"Wait! That means its money!" he exclaimed, face as bright as his hair.

"So you want something from that apothecary we passed on the way in?"

"Nah, didn't look like anything but bottles of who knows what."

"Then let's look for a store," announced Albus happily. They searched less than two minutes before entering a store that appeared to be a grocer.

"What can I get for ya, lads?" asked a cheery shopkeeper, standing by the counter. His store was full of shelves containing produce, boxes, cans, and sundry things.

"We'd like to know what we can get with this," stated Albus, holding up the coin, Ron nodding in agreement.

"Lemme see that," said the store owner. Albus passed the coin over to the elder man, who examined it momentarily. "It's a pound. Well what do ya want for a pound?" he asked. "I've got bags of assorted candy, 3 apples, a can of soup, or a couple of boxes of biscuits all for a pound." When Ron heard biscuits, his heart started jumping out of his chest.

"Al!" he whispered loudly, "We get candy way more often. Heck, my brothers bring it back every time they come home for the holidays. Let's get the biscuits."

"Well since it's our pound, and I've never tried biscuits-"

"Never tried biscuits! We're remedying that now! Sir," he called to the shopkeeper, "we're buying the biscuits."

"Sure thing. First aisle on the left." The boys scampered down the aisle, grabbing the first boxes they saw, and came back to the cashier, eyes full of glee. As they approached the counter, Ron noticed the man's own eyes light up for an instant.

"Say. Are ya from round here?" he asked Albus.

"Yes, why?"

"You're accent's really off. You're new here though, right?"

"You could say that," replied the boy in a 'sure-let's-go-with-that' tone in his voice.

"I see. Well, how would ya boys like a pound each?" he offered. Albus nodded happily in agreement, matching Ron's smile and nod. "I have a shipment of melons out back and I need to put them there," he said, pointing to the empty shelf between the cucumbers, and the blueberries. "I'm sure some strapping young boys such as yourselves wouldn't mind a little bit of work."

"I'll do it," cried Albus instantly. Ron, not wanting to say no when his only friend had agreed, accepted the job as well. After leading them out back, they caught sight of the shipment and were surprised at what they saw. It was a modest assortment of all types of melons, some bigger than Ron's head, others small enough to hold in one hand.

"Bloody hell," he breathed.

"Thank Merlin, your mum isn't here," said Albus. Ron caught the shopkeeper rolling his eyes, talking aloud; 'kid's these days.' So the two boys began hauling the melons into the store. At first the work was slow, but they quickly worked out a system to speed the job up. Oh, how those giant fruits killed his arms. It took a good hour, but at the end of it, all the melons were sitting on the shelf, sparkling and ready to for hungry townspeople.

"Well, I'm surprised! Most of the lads 'round here would've given up after twenty minutes. I think this deserves more than just a pound." He walked over to the register, and pulled out four thick brass coins, identical to the one they found on the street. "Here you go boys. Two pounds apiece for ya service."

"Thank you," the chorused, supporting each other from falling down.

"Now scat, I'm sure your mothers want ya home for dinner, and ya never want an angry mum on ya backs, eh?" They shook their heads, too exhausted to do anything else.

"Bye, sir!" called Ron.

"Hope your melons sell!" finished Albus as they hobbled away, biscuits in hand, still recovering from the hard labour they'd preformed.

"I can't feel my arms," moaned Ron, struggling more than the dark-haired boy in front of him.

"Well Ron, you don't want to be a squishy wizard forever, do ya?" said Albus brightly, taking off. Ron felt his face burn.

"Oi! Get back here you prat!" he yelled, finding a hidden well of energy to chase the boy. After all, his honour was at stake. As they ran over the hills towards the Burrow, Ron was sure of one thing.

When Albus was around, the word 'dull' simply didn't exist.

**Comments, Reviews and Opinions are highly welcomed.**

**Cheers,**

**Cepheus**


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N. Hello everyone!**

**All this pertaining to the Harry Potter Universe precisely belongs to a Ms. J.K Rowling**

**I am not her, so therefore I do not own Harry Potter**

"_French" _(you'll know when you see it)

Enjoy!

**The Sum of All Fears**

"There! That's the last of them," said, Xeno clearly exhausted from printing hundreds of newspaper copies that day. With the September edition ready a day ahead of schedule, he decided to go unwind in the library. As he climbed the stairs, he noticed a shadow coming in his direction. Rounding the corner, he saw his daughter making her way down to her bedroom, visibly exhausted.

"Why so knackered, Moonbeam?" he asked softly. She looked up at him and gave him a smile, yawning.

"Me and Albus have been reading all day! I just want some sleep now," she said, her voice carrying dreamy overtones.

"That's 'Albus and I', hun." Luna nodded complacently, clearly too tired to complain. "I'll let you get off to bed now. Sleep tight; don't let the wrackspurts bite," he said, pulling his daughter close. She hugged him lethargically, arms drooping even as she nuzzled his belly.

"Good night daddy, I love you too," she said, drifting down the stairs. He turned his gaze back up to the library door, light spilling through underneath the crack. "Maybe now's a good time to talk to him" said Xeno to himself. He pushed the door open, entering the library and found Albus surrounded by a dozen candles, a pile of books next to him, and a giant tome in hand.

"You know, sleep helps process all that info you're drinking up," chuckled Xeno softly.

"Mr. Xeno!" exclaimed the young boy, nearly flying out of his seat to give him a solemn bow.

"Albus, love. There's no need to be that formal with me."

"Okay Xeno," nodded the dark-haired child, setting the book in his hands-on top of the pile. 'One step at a time' he thought. He magically summoned a chair and a cup of tea, sitting down next to his quasi-son.

"What are all these things you're reading, Al?"

"All sorts of things, Xeno! That one's from Mexico," he pointed, "and that one's from Egypt, and this one," lifting the book from his lap, "This one's from Japan!" he cried, albeit with less enthusiasm than he had after a good night's rest.

"Well, that's a lot of different subjects! Are you enjoying them?" Albus nodded drowsily, his eyes beginning to flutter. "My my, a Ravenclaw if I ever saw one," he mused softly. "But Albus, you know you can't just do this all night. Body and mind need rest, and I know personally what happens when you ignore that," he chuckled.

"But I need to know things father. How can I learn everything if I take breaks?" he exclaimed, anxiety flickering in his eyes. This surprised Xeno, who sought to put the boy's mind at ease.

"Rome was not built in a day. Knowledge works in quite the same way. You need to take breaks so that you understand what you just read, and not just go by simple memorization."

"But I _need _to keep going farther!"

"Oh? Why do you believe that?" Xeno noticed that his ward was clearly upset.

"If I don't keep going, I'll never find out about-" he caught himself, eyes gripped with fear.

"About?"

"Nothing Mr. Xeno," he mumbled. Xeno had a feeling he knew what the problem was.

"Albus, look at me." The boy obeyed hesitantly. "You're afraid of the fact you don't know who you were before, aren't you?" The boy stiffened for a second, but gave him a small nod, his eyes beginning to tear up.

"Oh Albus," he said, pulling the child in close for a hug. "You're too young to be haunted by those kinds of demons. I know you want to know what happened, but if you let the fear of it consume you, you'll never be free." He felt his shirt grow moist as the gentle boy gave soft sobs.

"I'm sorry Xeno. I never meant to let you down," he moaned.

"You never let me down, love. I'm just sad because you feel afraid of something that I know I can't control," he said, a knot stuck in his throat. "The past is past, and we should not dwell too heavily on it. We cannot progress if we do. Don't seek knowledge to satisfy your fear, but seek it for your curiosity, passion, and understanding." He saw Albus turn to him, his guardian, piercing green eyes wet with tears. For several moment, Albus held a question on the tip of his tongue, floating through the tender silence. Xeno flashed an encouraging smile to finally coax it out.

"Can-can you carry me to bed tonight, Xeno?"

"Of course I can," he replied, a wane smile still tugging on his face. Banishing the tea and chair, he reached down to carry a boy who needed to be reminded he was loved. They made their way out of the library.

"Xeno?" he yawned.

"Yes, Al?"

"Who's Midoyama?" Xeno pondered a moment.

"I think there's a Midoyama as the Warlock of Inter-magical Cooperation at the ICW. Why do you ask?"

"I read something about him in book," replied Albus. Xeno could tell there was more to that but decided against asking for the time being. He continued to Albus' room, and placed his son on his bed, next to yet another pile of books.

"Good night Albus. I love you."

"Love you too Uncle Xeno." He was asleep the moment he slurred those words. Something warm blossomed in the older man's heart as he heard those sweet words.

"One step at a time, Xeno," he told himself as he closed the door, "one step at a time."

-oOoOoOoOo-

_Iyoshima General Mages Hospital_

_The Future_

"Is he always like this?" asked Dominique sadly. James hadn't stirred in the two weeks since the funeral and was beginning to look a bit more dead than alive.

"Mostly," replied a weary Bill. He wished he didn't have to tell his daughter that her twelve-year-old cousin may or may not wake up. He'd heard healers Sakai and Kobayashi arguing about what to do from inside their office, but each overheard discussion sapped him of hope.

"I wish I didn't have to go to Beauxbâtons on Monday," his daughter's brow creased with worry.

"And why's that?"

"So that I could be here when he wakes up."

"But that could take a while," he replied, still trying to not dash her hopes despite his own doubts.

"Well, then how about you put a glamour on Louis and he can go in my place." At this point Fleur spoke up in surprise.

"Minou, ne dit pas ça!"

"_Maman it's a joke! Besides he's always talking about how jealous he is of me and Vicky!"_

"_Well I'm sure that Louis wouldn't be able to pretend to be you for very long,"_ piped in Bill._ "Besides Vicky would recognize her brother very quickly." _Dominique sighed.

"_Yeah you have a point," _she said morosely. The atmosphere of James' hospital room was clearly weighing her down.

"_How about you go find Vicky and Louis and grab a light snack from the moldu University" _suggested his wife.

"Sure," she shrugged. "Can you glamour me maman?" Fleur quickly applied the glamour on her daughter, who then quickly slipped out of the room. That left Bill and Fleur giving each other pained expressions. There were so many feelings that passed between them every time they sat here. This whole month had been back and forth between France and Japan, and between jet-lag and mourning, they both felt a tiredness that sank into their bones.

"'ave you spoken to Lord Midoyama lately?" asked Fleur hesitantly, well aware of his animosity towards the man. He sighed loudly.

"Fortunately he said that we have custody since the will designated us next of kin, so at least that's been sorted out." Despite the obvious relief in his voice, Bill knew his wife caught the look of concern in his eye.

"_It appears that there's more to it than that"_ she noted. Bill sighed as he really did not want to have this conversation.

"_Yes chérie, there is. Since Ginny and Harry received protection from Midoyama's clan, they are…were effectively members of the clan as well, which means that their children must receive their full education in the Home Islands." _His wife didn't look too pleased.

"_Zey are onnestly concerned about that when we don't know what happens when he awakes? __Incroyable__!" _Her Veela allure was flaring up in frustration. He could sympathize with said anger.

"_I know, I nearly punched something when he started talking about it." _Fleur sighed.

"_Well, what type of schooling do they have, boarding like Hogwarts was or more like Beauxbâtons for the younger years?"_

"_Beauxbâtons" _replied Bill. Fleur cursed.

"_that means we will need many more portkeys," _she sighed.

"_We'll figure it out," _responded Bill softly. Suddenly a rustling noise caught their attention. They glanced over at the hospital bed and Bill's eyes went wide. There was James, squirming in bed as though he was wrestling with the sheets. He was at the boy's side in an instant. His nephew's eyes were blinking rapidly, trying to scan the room, though remained mostly clouded in confusion.

"Albus?" croaked James, voice rusty from disuse.

"No James, its Uncle Bill," he said as softly as possible, clutching his nephew's bony hand.

"Where's Albus?" he asked, very confused, switching haphazardly between Japanese and English. It broke Bill's heart to hear him sound so vulnerable, so fragile.

"Albus isn't here, Jamie," replied Bill, his voice thick with emotion and tears threatening to fall.

"But I saw Al, he was with me," he insisted, voice cracking and hoarse. Despite the rescuers tireless efforts, they still hadn't found the little boy's body and Bill didn't think his nephew was ready to hear that he wouldn't see his little brother again.

"He's not here James," he replied softly.

"Nani? But I saw him at home," he insisted again. "He had…funny name, but it was Al!" Sweat drops were forming on his face from the exertion, and his eyelids were beginning to droop. Before Bill could say another word, Fleur came running in with the healers followingclosely behind. It was Kobayashi and Hosokawa if he wasn't mistaken. He hadn't even noticed his wife stepping out.

"Weasley-san," said Kobayashi, slightly out of breath, "we will need you and your wife to let us check his vitals and run some tests." He nodded and turned back to James briefly.

"James, the healers are going to see how you're doing, okay?"

"But Al?" he said, already beginning to slip back into unconsciousness. The medical staff sprang to action testing the machines, and attempted rouse him again. Bill watched the whole scene in tears, answering James question with a quiet whisper.

"I don't know, James. I don't know."

-oOoOoOoOo-

Pandora knew it was late, but she fancied a cup of tea. It was only days when work was very taxing that she ever felt the need to resort to a late-night cuppa. As she enjoyed the soothing aroma, her husband appeared in the kitchen looking equally tired.

"Thank you for brewing the pot of tea earlier. I really needed it upstairs."

"So that's where the chair and cup went off to."

"Aye it was," he relied softly.

"Warn me next time you wandlessly summon chairs I'm about to sit on." A small chuckle escaped his mouth. However, she saw that a hint of sadness rested on his face.

"I was just talking to Albus."

"Was something wrong?" she asked, unsure of the situation.

"In a way," he replied quickly. "It seems like his loss of memory is affecting him a bit more than we thought."

"What do you mean?" Her brow creased with concern.

"He's afraid of the lack of knowledge and was compensating by trying to learn as much as possible."

His answer was met with silence lasting but a moment. She drew a deep sigh.

"Albus is so cheerful that sometimes it's hard to remember that he's been through such trauma." She spoke gravely, speaking wisdom laced with grief. "He's strong though, I can see it. If anyone can pull through this, it's him"

"And we will be right there beside him, as a family," he finished, setting aside his tea. The two shared a hug of understanding, finishing with brief kiss.

"As a family," she repeated wistfully. "Even though it's been an interesting month, learning how to live with two children, I wouldn't trade for any in the world,"

"Neither would I dear," he replied, drawing circles on her back. She pulled back, picked up his tea, and handed it back to him.

"So the September edition's all finished and ready for shipping?" she asked promptly before sipping her own.

"Well," he began. She gave him a glance of suspicion, laughter escaping his lips. "Yes, not to worry. I finished at least an hour ago and the owls are sure to arrive any moment now."

"Good! Now I get to enjoy my husband for a few hours before he disappears to some new hole for his next scoop!" she teased.

"Oh shush! You know that I care about you deeply," he said as she rolled her eyes.

"Of course I know that dear. Did you get any new subscriptions this month?" He drew figures in the air with his hands before turning back.

"With Victor Macmillan, the Nott siblings, and Nobby Leach, I'd say it's about a dozen."

"Quite a feat considering five years ago it was nothing but you, my sister's family, and a few friends who read this old rag."

"Well, it just goes to show you that people are tired of the same propaganda the Prophet spews out without looking at the real problems," he replied, passion glimmering in his eyes. "Unfortunately, some people like Malfoy were spewing something about 'subversive material' at the latest Wizengamot, so we still have to keep it low key."

"So it's still coded this month," she asked, though it sounded more like a statement. Either way her husband nodded as he drank. She could see that even through the hope and fire that burned within him, there was a great amount of sorrow present in his demeanour. She knew where this was going, yet as always, she knew he would be itching to talk about it again.

"You're doing this for them, aren't you? Even after all this time," she answered, wearing an all knowing look on her face.

"How could I not," he whispered. "They spoke out against the Death Eaters, the Ministry, and the 'Order-that's-not-supposed-to exist'. When the Prophet fired them, they started their own paper" He paused. "My parents wanted a Magical Britain that allowed its people to be informed and proactive, like the rest of the world is," he explained nostalgically, having recited those words many atime before. She picked up his thought from there.

"I know. It's obvious we live in a bit of a police state that shuts out everyone. Muggles, centaurs, goblins, werewolves, even other mages from around the world."

"Exactly! Of all those that left Britain during the Blood War, at least half of them are still stuck in Refugee camps in Ireland and France. It was because my parents knew what was going on that they were…" he hesitated, "…that they were permanently dealt with." She pulled him close again, whispering softly in his ear.

"I understand. This needs to be done if we want a place where our children and grandchildren aren't dealing with the same problems tomorrow. I'm proud of what you're doing you know. Don't ever forget that." She glanced at his face and saw a genuine smile of gratitude.

"You know, we discuss depressing topics too often," he noted.

"But that's who we are," she countered, "We're able to brave the storm, even in our strange little way."

"Well then oh mighty Evie Lovegood, any more wisdom?" he gushed as he made gestures of bowing towards her. Since he was using middle names, it was time to tease him back.

"Not that I know of, Felix," she grinned slyly, using his middle name to her advantage. He scowled, just as she expected he would.

"You just had to say it," he whined.

"At least its better the Luna's."

"What? It's a good name. And it's Irish!

"Remind me never to let you pick names again," she joked, composing herself promptly. "But in all seriousness, we will be watching the youngest Weasleys tomorrow."

"Oh?" he replied, raising his eyebrows.

"Apparently, Arthur was invited to an "Our-kids-are-off-to-Hogwarts" party," she stated as the candle flickered, casting shadows around the room. "This is the first time that Molly's joining him, so she can't take care of Ron and Ginny."

"So then I'll watch them. You still have potions to brew, but since tomorrow's delivery day, I'm free."

"Thank you love, that's just what I needed to hear." Her sweet smile made her husband grin as he finished sipping his tea.

"Know what else you'd love to hear?" smoothly replied Xeno. She banished her tea and gave him a smirk.

"I think I know exactly what I want to hear," she laughed, grabbing him by the arm as they made their way up the stairs for the night.

-oOoOoOoOo-

Ron wasn't happy. Every year for as long as he could remember, his mother had taken all seven of her children to King's Cross on the first of September. However, he and his sister were told they'd be unable to go for the first time ever, simply because his parents were going to a party immediately afterwards. Completely unfair!

"Why can't I come?" whined the young boy to his mother. She shot him a glare, silencing his pleas before he could finish.

"I've already told you, Ronald! It's not a party for children, and that's final! Ginny stop fiddling with your bow," she said as she fussed over his younger sister. Ron resorted to the only thing he could do: sulk. As they made their way over the hill, he saw his Charlie, Percy, and the Twins waving to them as they lugged their trunks to their father's new flying car, laughing all the while.

"How do you even know there's a party? Dad's left for work already!"

"Your father will be back in two minutes. Honestly Ronald, just because your father's at work the moment you get up doesn't mean he won't be here when it's time to go." He huffed again, turning to his sister. She gave him a look of sympathy.

"Smile now, sulk later," she whispered. "That way she fusses less." An incredulous glare was his only response as he felt betrayed by his sister's suggestion. The towering rook-like structure of the Lovegood home came into sight, and his mum spent the rest of the way there reminding them of the rules, fussing, and warning them to behave. He was quite angry, and it didn't help that his mother was escorting them there when he knew the way to the Lovegoods like the back of his hand. It's as if she didn't trust him!

Finally as they crossed the property line into their front yard, Albus and Luna came bolting out of the house, half racing, half ready to tackle them. They were followed by Uncle Xeno, who seemed to be as calm, even with the slight breeze whipping his hair up in a whirlwind of pale locks.

"Pan told me all about the situation last night," he called, Albus already dragging Ron and Ginny towards the house. His friend's enthusiasm was contagious, and even though he was still upset, Ron gave the Lovegood siblings a slight smile.

"Oh, good. Tell her I'm glad she could do this at the last moment," replied a grateful Molly.

"I'm sure she'll be thrilled," he said smirking. Molly Weasley gave a quick reminder to her children, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone, having apparated back to the Burrow. "Well," exclaimed Xeno, clapping his hands together. "I'm going to make some brunch! Anyone want to join me?" Ginny and Luna quickly bolted inside, asking why the man couldn't hurry up. He then turned to Ron and his own son with an expectant look. "What about you boys?"

"In a minute," came Ron's reply, earning him a glance of confusion from the others present.

"Sure thing but remember the food you make is worth more." Within a flash, Xeno had left the boys alone, Albus still confused as to Ron's reaction.

"What was that about?" he asked. Ron shrugged. "Oh c'mon. You're acting sulky. Like you couldn't go to King's Cross or some-…oh." Albus' realization was made more poignant by the fact that the Ford Anglia was rising into the sky at that moment, making Ron's eyes start watering. They both stared at the car as it flew further away, and Ron felt bitterness welling up in his heart. Out of the corner of his eye, he barely noticed his friend's eyes' light up just as the car disappeared from view.

"We're going to King's Cross," declared the boy. The only thing Ron could make of his friend's statement was shock.

"Are you barmy?"

"Um…no?"

"We can't get to King's Cross! That requires-"

Floo powder and a fireplace," finished Albus confidently. "The fireplace is on the second floor, near Aunt Pan's potion's lab. She's busy right now, and Mr.-Uncle Xeno," Ron noticed the correction, "is in the kitchen with our sisters."

"So we can go use the floo network and get there in two seconds flat! Al you're a genius!" he cried, joyfully hugging his friend as they laughed.

"Wait!" said Albus. Ron groaned.

"What now?"

"We need to leave something so that they don't think we've disappeared."

"Like a note?" he offered.

"Yeah! Be right back!" Albus bolted into the house, leaving Ron to wait outside by himself. 'Will this really work?' pondered the red-haired boy. It wasn't like they could make any mistakes. Just throw the powder into the fire, call the name, and there! They'd be standing in front of the Hogwarts Express. However he felt like he was missing something but couldn't remember it. 'Must not have been important,' he reasoned.

"Oi! You coming or not?" Shaken out of his thoughts, Ron saw his friend waving a sheet of parchment triumphantly. "Read it, it's foolproof," said Albus smugly. Ron skimmed it.

_Uncle Xeno,_

_Went to Ottery St. Catchpole with Ron_

_Be back soon,_

_Albus_

"You think that's good enough?" he asked skeptically, knowing that the Lovegood parents were not the gullible sort.

"It'll buy us enough time. I mean, it's not like we'll get lost or anything." With the smile on Albus' face, Ron felt assured by the plan. They scurried into the house, careful to leave the note in the living room before sneaking up the stairs. They had to be extremely quiet as they approached the fireplace, knowing that Albus' aunt was still nearby, even if she was engrossed in her work. Finally, they entered the room connected to the floo, where a fire was burning softly in the hearth.

"Okay, let's do this." Ron made his way to the small pot on a nearby table, finding it full to the brim with a green chalky powder.

"Here Al, take some," he called offering his friend a pinch before taking one himself. They approached the fireplace cautiously, watching the flames crackle over the glowing embers.

"You know what to do?" asked Albus, Ron confirming with a quick nod. The two threw their powder into the fire simultaneously, causing it to turn into a bright green conflagration. They stepped into the hearth and began calling out the name of their destination.

Unfortunately, as Ron called out 'Platform Nine and Three Quarters', his friend had coolly declared 'King's Cross'. Ron stared at Albus in shock as they disappeared amidst the emerald flames.

All that remained in the room was an uncapped floo jar and dying embers to indicate that they had ever been there.

**AN. reviews are always welcome!**

**Enjoy,**

**Cepheus**


	9. Chapter 9

**A.N. Hello!**

**I first want to say thank you to everyone who commented, followed or added ****_Now Lost to Memory _****to their favourites. I really appreciate it. **

**Still don't own HP or anything of the like**

**All the recognizable things still belong to J. K. Rowling**

**enjoy**

**On the Tube**

To say that Albus was uncomfortable would be an understatement. The moment the flames cleared, he and Ron were pressed awkwardly close together in what appeared to be a dark broom closet full of unknown bottles and sticks.

"Well we botched it," deadpanned Ron. "You know we were supposed to say Platform Nine and Three Quarters."  
"You never told me that!" cried Albus defensively. In the low light, Albus could see Ron slumping over in defeat.

"Great now we're stuck here."

"Quit moaning and help me get to the bleeding door!" said Albus. The boys untangled themselves from the brooms surrounding them and groped toward the door. It took a few moments, but when Ron pulled the knob, both of them were blinded by the sudden change in lighting. As his eyes adjusted, Albus peered out into a great space teeming with very serious men and women. Some of them were dressed in dark clothing and carried an air of importance and haste, but as he looked again, he saw families, school children, and tourists mixed into the chaos. Albus was blatantly staring at the masses of people and the size of the space, when he heard the door click behind him. Turning around, he saw Ron sprawled on the ground, legs leaning against the now closed door.

"What? I'm just examining the floor?" he said defensively. Albus raised his eyebrows but went to help pull the redhead up. "So how are we going to find Platform Nine and Three Quarters from here?"

"We could look for someone that stands out from the crowd, if you know what I mean." The other boy stared at him blankly for a second, before realizing what he'd meant.

"Oh, I get it! Look for someone who looks like a wi-" before he finished, Albus clapped his hand over his friend's mouth, earning him a look of disbelief.

"Do you want to say that aloud and have people looking at as funny?" Ron's glare shifted to a sarcastic gaze. "I mean more than they already are you git!" the ginger laughed, the sound muffled by his friend's hand. Out of the corner of his eye, Albus noticed something.

Walking across the Atrium was a stout woman, dressed in what could only be described as brightly coloured robes, and fiery red hair.

"Hey Ron," he said, tapping his friend. Glancing in the direction he was pointing, Ron stopped, eyes bulging.

"Sweet Merlin, it's mum! Hide me, quick!" he cried, trying to hide behind the shorter boy. Rolling his eyes, Albus asked,

"She's on her way to Platform Nine and Three Quarters, right?"

"Sure but-"

"Then we follow her!" he concluded, not noticing his friend's reluctance.

"Albus, we're gonna get caught!" his friend pleaded, as the passing people began giving them odd stares. Normally he could relate to his friend's reluctance. One of the few memories he had of James involved Albus getting roped in to crazy shenanigans. But he didn't want Ron to be sad all day, so Albus supposed he just had to be James today.

"Not if we're sneaky," he grinned wickedly. Ron coughed something that sounded awfully like 'Slytherin', much to his amusement. "Well, what are you waiting for? Move before we lose her!" The boys started running in the direction she'd gone; through a door above which hung a red ringed roundel, split in half by a blue bar emblazoned with the word 'UNDERGROUND'.

-oOoOoOoOo-

"I'm bored." Luna looked up from the book she was reading to see a pouting Ginny Weasley. Since finishing breakfast, they'd carried on like this.

"You know daddy said we couldn't wander while he went looking for the boys."

"But we can still do _something_ here in the yard other than read you know," huffed the other girl. As Luna pondered she remembered something Albus told her earlier, something about learning magic as a little kid. An idea blossomed in her mind.

"What about magic?" she smirked. Ginny's attitude went from somber to pleasantly curious when she mentioned it.

"What do you mean by magic?"

"Well, Albus said he remembered learning magic not too long ago and he's only a year older than us," Luna calmly explained. Ginny caught on quickly to Luna's implications, and was near ecstatic. Luna laughed. "Looks like you definitely want to do that."

"You know what we should do?" exclaimed her friend. "We should try and fly without broomsticks!"

"Shouldn't we start by trying to float first?"

"That works too," conceded Ginny. Luna got up off her chair and followed her friend to a clearing in the yard, and simply stood there.

"So how are we going to even get this done? Concentration? Meditating? Conjuring up flying monkeys to take us to mum's potions lab?" Luna's sarcasm made Ginny laugh as placed her finger to her head, clearly trying to think of an idea, and hoping the action would spark inspiration.

"We might want to imagine ourselves floating, and then really want that," concluded the red-headed girl. Luna, seeing that her reasoning made sense, decided to stand there and simply visualize floating with earnest desire, hoping that she wouldn't be impeded from her goal by errant wrackspurts. A comfortable silence descended over them as they concentrated on their goal. However as moments became minutes, the lack of change gave way to tension and awkward glares. Luna noticed Ginny's patience was fraying as she huffed in frustration.

"We've been sitting here for ages, and nothing's happened."

"Sure it has," she replied brightly. "We've certainly aged a bit." A mild scowl danced across her friend's face, before it was replaced with mock haughtiness.

"Be gone with you!" she teased, waving her hand in Luna's direction. With that action, a roar of wind barreled into Luna, sending her rolling, narrowly missing a tree. Luna felt dazed, but even in that state, she saw Ginny's jaw visibly drop as she gawked at what had happened. Before either of them could recover from the shock, Luna's father appeared at the back gate and he did not seem very amused.

"Have either of you seen the boys?" he asked, a hint of worry lacing his words. They both shook their heads, being the only thing they could do as they tried to process the strangeness of that gust of wind. Luna's father didn't seem to notice this and began talking to himself. "So they're not in Catchpole, and they haven't come back- wait, what are you girls up to?"

"Rolling around in the grass," replied Luna innocently.

"She's mental really," continued Ginny in a very serious tone, much to Luna's displeasure. Her father did not seem entirely fooled.

"Uh-huh…right. You girls stay in the yard while I go check Knott's Wood and the Torridge. They are getting their ears boxed in when I get my hands on them," he said, the last part clearly louder than Luna thought he'd wanted it to be. As he rushed down the path, Luna turned back to Ginny who seemed to have recovered from the…incident. Maybe there wer wrackspurts around afterall.

"What was that?" she asked, confused.

"I-I'm not even sure, but it was powerful. I mean, you _flew _the whole way across the yard!"

"And it hurt!" she said offhandedly, though she pointing her finger at the ginger to indicate her displeasure. The rush of wind roared again, and hit Ginny head on, but the girl managed to stay standing, albeit barely. Luna was now thoroughly gobsmacked at what she'd just done, just as her friend had been before her.

"So does it happen when we want to hurt each other?" asked Ginny, not as phased as the first time. "I say we test it."

"How? Desiring blustery weather?"

"Something like that. You try first and see if it works." Luna steadied herself, closed her eyes, gave a deep breath, and pictured a fierce gale in her mind. It came slowly at first, like a soft whisper, but that whisper grew steadily louder until it roared in her ears. Opening her eyes, she saw all the trees in the yard swaying fiercely, their leaves wrapped up in the whirlwind, and Ginny, holding on to the fattest one to keep her from blowing away.

"This is bloody brilliant!" she exclaimed with glee, Luna barely being able to hear her friend over the noise. 'How do I get this to stop?' she pondered. Sure enough, the booming sound cut to dead quiet, and everything became motionless. She ran over to Ginny, hair completely disheveled, smiling with equal fervour as the redhead.

"We have got to keep practicing this," she declared proudly.

"Oh, abso-bloody-lutely!"

"I'm sure your mother'd love to hear that," she retorted casually.

"Well, she's not here so sod all! Besides, I could always blame Fred, George, or Ron for corrupting me," she countered smugly, making Luna concede the point.

"This could be our secret weapon. Could come in handy for all sorts of things."

"Like Quidditch!" exclaimed Ginny began concentrating wind, and Luna saw a dustbowl picking up. She saw the girl turn to her for a moment speaking before the wind got too loud.

"Remember how I said this day sucks? Scratch that. This day's the best ever!" Luna laughed as she ran to grab a tree for the first of many times that day.

-oOoOoOoOo-

Ron was trying to keep up with his faster friend as they bolted down the stairs, trying to keep his mum in sight. He wondered why she was going to King's Cross the muggle way. After all, it was only ten to eleven, meaning she'd gotten there early, left and was going back. At the bottom the stairs fanned out into a large hall, and it was difficult keeping track of Albus, let alone his mother. It didn't leave him much to time to gawk at things like the unusual muggle lights or clothes.

"We're gonna lose her! C'mon Ron!" cried his friend, who was suddenly cut off by a large man, with a very serious demeanour.

"Lads, I'm giving you a warning, you need to pay fare if you want to ride the tube. That's the rules." Albus looked to him absolutely confused.

"Fares? L-l-like money?" stammered Ron.

"Yes boy, money. Fifty p each." Ron didn't know what a pee was, but he remembered that he carried one of his muggle coins around in his pocket all the time. Rummaging for it, he pulled out the slightly rusted pound.

"Does this work?" he asked nervously. The inspector glance at it only a moment.

"Course it works, for the both of you." He took the piece quickly. "Now, get going! You're standin' in the middle of traffic." At that moment, Ron felt Albus grab his hand pulling him with all his might.

"Oi! Do you wanna yank my arm off?" he quipped.

"No time. She went that way!" In no time flat, they were down the moving stairs in front of them, weaving through the crowd. He saw his mum at the very bottom of the…eskalator? Moving past the right bend in the round corridor.

"Albus we take a right at the bottom," he said, since his friend had looked down while catching his breath. Even with the crowds of strange people, they made it to the bottom of the stairs quickly, turning right, down a short hallway to a stationary staircase.

"Do these things ever end," he huffed.

"No time to find out, just keep running! Merlin your mum's fast." With fewer people in this section, the boys made it to the bottom in record time. "Alright which way did she go?" asked the dark-haired boy. "Ron began glancing around, and sure enough, out of the corner of his eye, he saw her boarding a silver tube like structure on their right. This time, it was Ron pulling Albus into the strange contraption, narrowly avoiding certain doom by the closing doors.

Both began panting, tying to inhale as much air as they could, earning them a few strange glances. It was at that moment they realised something. At the end of the tube, there was a wall that divided it from the next section, and through the glass on the other side, was the familiar red haired, lilac robed figure they'd been chasing, barely visible through the crowd. Looking at Albus, one could see the 'are you serious' written all over his face.

"So what now? We chased her on to this moving, um, train of sorts, and now what?" said Albus, looking like he was having a few second thoughts.

"We could see where she gets off and that might lead us to the platform," offered Ron. He seemed receptive to the idea, judging by the look on his face.

"Alright then, I think the next station is coming up 'cause this train's slowing down. You check and see if she leaves. If she doesn't, we stay on. If she does, call me and I'll run." The train ground to a halt and Ron took his cue at the nearest door. As they glided open, Ron peaked his head outside the doors to see dozen of people pouring on to an extremely narrow island, clearly not designed to hold the volume of bodies that were moving around on it. However, Ron saw no sign of the lavender robes anywhere, so he pulled his head back, watched the doors close, and walked back to where Albus stood as the train trundled away from the strange station.

"Nothing, she didn't get off this time." Albus sighed in frustration.

"This isn't what I had in mind," he said, shoulders slumped. They decided to take turns for each new station they passed. 'Old Street' declared the loud speaker as they halted at the next stop. Albus came back with the same result as he had. Ron had no idea what the time was, but he was sure it was at least eleven, meaning they'd missed the train. Dread was starting to pool in his stomach, but he fought it down as he popped his head out the door at 'Moorgate'. All he saw was a group of women dressed in saffron, lapis, fuchsia and other bright colours, covered golden jewelry, and each with a red mark upon their foreheads. "Not who we're looking for," he called back to Albus, dejectedly. The people around them had continued to give them strange looks, but Ron figured it was due to the strange ritual they were doing. The Londoners paid them no mind, more interested in clustering near the open windows to get a reprieve from the stifling heat. Ron was sure it wasn't this hot at King's Cross but complaining about had only made people give him dirty looks.

"My turn," Albus said as he repeated the process at 'Bank'. He paused for a moment, making Ron wonder if this was it. Unfortunately, just like the times before, he turned his head back to Ron, shaking it in disagreement, worry all over his face.

"Why'd you take so long?"

"Because there was some old lady yelling something about birds and tuppence," he said slightly bewildered.

"Must be barmy," concluded Ron as they waited for the next station and the hopeful sight of his lilac robed mother. At 'London Bridge', he saw a woman fall down, while Albus claimed some man was singing about a fair at 'Borough', and when he poked his head out at 'Elephant and Castle', there were four school children asking if anyone knew how to get to 'Finchley' or something of the sort. With each passing station, the fear they were lost grew stronger and stronger within him.

"Why don't look together at this next stop?" asked Ron. Albus nodded his head quite enthusiastically. It was clear the other boy was as afraid but putting up a brave front for the sake of his friend.

As the loudspeaker called out 'Kennington', they stood in front of the doors, anxious to know if this was the stop they were hoping for. The train finally stopped, its doors slipped open and they peered out onto the platform. Sure enough, there she was, the person they'd been waiting for, rapidly walking away from them, fiery hair whipping in her wake. Ron was so surprised he nearly missed Albus pulling him out of the doorway as the train's metallic doors slammed shut. It began to pull away when he realised Albus was calling him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, surprised. "If we don't hurry up we'll lose her again." He began running, leaving Ron lagging behind.

"How do you run so fast?" he cried.

"I've been practicing, you squishy wizard." The taunt was meant to get him to move faster, and Ron decided to see if he could overtake his friend as they raced for the exit. They raced each other up the stairs and through the hallway toward the enclosure that his mum entered. They weren't able to catch up in time and the door closed on both of them.

"Blast! How the hell are we going to catch up to her?" asked Albus, frustrated. Ron glanced around, noticing a sign that pointed to another exit. Though, that plan was soon made easier by the second elevator swinging open.

"That's how, Al" he said flatly. The other boy sighed, but soon enough, they both hopped in the elavator. The ride up was much swifter than expected, and the boys were soon deposited at ground level. Unfortunately, in order to keep up with his mother, they had to keep moving. They exited the station on the side street, and Ron kept his eyes and ears open to see if they saw her. Albus spotted her first, making her way down the same side street before turning right.

"That way," they said in unison, needing no one to drag the other along. As they rounded the corner, Ron saw she'd already made it to the next intersection. He didn't remember his mother ever being this fast, but he and Albus continued the chase, lungs ready to explode. The rows of houses passed them by as they turned left this time and saw that this street was a short jog to the next one over. They sprinted that stretch, Ron finally pulling in front, finally getting a better look at his 'mother' as they turned on around the next corner. It was then that he suddenly remembered that she hadn't been wearing lilac this morning. At that moment, she turned around, and Ron could say only one thing about her appearance.

"That's not mum!"

-oOoOoOoOo-

Xeno was exhausted. He'd walked through town, combing every inch of it for the two missing boys. He'd checked both rivers, the wood, and the pond near their own property line.

"I turn my back for one second, and they vanish! Oh Molly will throttle me," he wailed. At that precise moment that his wife walked into the living room.

"Why would Molly throttle you? Did you stuff the children in a broom closet?" she pondered aloud.

"Har har," he replied sarcastically, "I went to go make breakfast with the girls, and when I came to call the boys for food, that's what I found," he said pointing to the note. She scanned it briefly.

"So they're in town," she concluded, confused as to why he was upset.

"I already checked there…and everywhere else." He noticed her face change from calm to concerned.

"Do you think they're hiding somewhere in the house?"

"Haven't checked yet," he replied, now hopeful it was just some elaborate prank.

"And the girls haven't vanished in the meantime?" she asked teasingly.

"No," he glared. "I just saw them in the yard, up to who knows what."

"Aw, come here love," she cooed, giving him a quick kiss. "Don't worry too much, I'm sure you'll find them," she said encouragingly before going off to the kitchen to make lunch. He decided he'd check each floor, just to be sure. Making his way up the stairs, he noticed a door on the second floor was slightly ajar. 'That must be where they've stowed themselves away,' he concluded, swinging the door wide open. What he saw made him go pale with fear.

This room was the one with a floo connection. The floo powder jar was open, green powder everywhere, and there were dying embers smoldering the fireplace. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Pan! Come quick! Oh Molly's gonna kill me now"

-oOoOoOoOo-

Albus was shocked. When the woman he believed was Mrs. Weasley turned around, he realised what a grave mistake he'd made. While she was of similar build and had the same shade of red hair, her face was that of a stranger. To make matters worse, Ron's obvious statement made her react in a fierce manner.

"Why you little brats!" she bellowed, scaring Albus immediately. "Thought you could jump over this fence here and skip school, huh? On the first day even!" Her angry remarks confused Albus. Skipping school?

"You get back right over this fence or I'll report you to the headmaster, you hear?" He looked at the fence they were next too and saw the large yard it opened up onto, but before he could give it a second thought, Ron was pulling him over the fence without any regret. It took all his strength to keep himself from painfully hitting the concrete. "At least one of you has some common sense in ya! Lazy brats!" she yelled one final time before continuing on her way.

"She may not be my mum, but she sure has her temper," said Ron, still shaking after having climbed over the barrier. Albus gaged their surroundings, seeing the large stone yard covered in strange lines, surrounded by a few trees, and dominated by one large manor-like structure. Inside, he was afraid, but his curiosity was getting the better of him for the moment. On the other hand, looking at Ron, he could see it wasn't the case for him.

"What are we going to do?" he asked fearfully. "We're lost, there's no wizards around, we don't even know how to get back, and I lost my favourite pound!" he moaned, tears threating to stream down his face.

"We should try and act natural. Maybe there are some wizards here and we just need to find them," he said trying to calm the poor ginger down. At that moment a large blaring noise went off, startling them as dozens of children came pouring out of the 'manor'. Ron and Albus stuck together, even as the yard filled to the brim.

"Where do you think they all come from?" asked Ron bluntly.

"Do you really want to know?" asked Albus, smiling wickedly to Ron's displeasure. Just then a girl ran up to them, a determined look in her eye. Her hair was tied back, she wore a bright shirt with short sleeves, shorts, and runners. For Albus, it was a very surprising sight.

"Kay, so we need a keeper and forward, and you blokes fit the bill," she announced, no regret or hesitation in her voice. "You play football, right?"

"Football?" asked Albus.

"Is she barmy mate?" Ron whispered loudly. Seeing the hesitation, the girl grabbed them by the arms, and dragged them without batting an eyelash. She called out to a group nearby.

"Hey Paddie!" she called to another girl. "I gots us two more, so tell the others we're good!" The other girl turned around just as they arrived and Albus' jaw dropped. She looked exactly like the one standing right next to them.

"Kay, we start in two…and don't call me that," she scowled.

"There's…two of you!?" exclaimed Ron.

"Of course," the second girl replied.

"I'm Parvati," continued the first.

"I'm Padma," retorted the second.

"And we're the Patil Twins," they chorused. For many years afterward, Albus would die of laughter whenever someone mentioned Ron's initial reaction.

Eyes looking upwards, hands extended to the sky, Ron cried,

"Twins! Why'd it have to be twins?"

A.N. If any issues, likes dislikes, etc., don't hesitate to review or PM

For those who don't know the London Underground well, the line in mention was the Northern Line (the black line on the map), on the Bank or City Branch (The branch on the right side of the map)

See if you can pick it out any of the movie, song, or book references scattered throughout the chapter ;D Chapter 8 will be up before Halloween and the Weasley twins are back, stay tuned an enjoy!

anyways 'hasta la proxima' (until next time)

Cepheus


	10. Chapter 10

_**A.N. No I do not own the HP universe, that would belong to J.K. Rowling**_

_**Once again, Thank you for the comments, they are appreciated :D**_

_**Now, on to the story!**_

**Just a Regular School Day**

The moment Ron exclaimed his surprise, he was assaulted by laughter from all directions. From the Patils, from the group of children that had joined them, and even from Albus. Ron was sure his face was the same shade as his hair.

"I like this one," chuckled the girl who called herself Padma as she lightly punched him in the shoulder. "What's your name, mate?"

"Ron," he quickly replied, "and this is Albus," he said, pointing to his friend who waved back at them.

The girl then scrutinized him for a few moments, before making up her mind some point Ron did not know, finding out when she finally spoke.

"He'll be the keeper," she declared, pointing to Ron, to the agreement of their nearby teammates. "So you Albus will be the third forward." He did not know anything about this Football, but Ron knew a keeper in Quidditch guarded the rings. He hoped it was something along those lines as the gaggle of people they called a 'team' made their way over to what they called the pitch. The 'pitch' was grassy field with faded lines, and two rectangular arches planted into the ground at either end. 'Those must be the goals the keeper guards,' thought Ron. However, it seemed that everyone only had eyes for the crowd standing at the other end of the field.

"Well, well. Looks like the Patil clones managed to scrounge up a team after all," gloated one boy, tall and smug.

"Oh, shut it King. We'll beat you into the dust," replied Parvati, brimming with confidence and Padma backing her up. The other teammates let out a loud 'hear hear!" in support of their apparent captain.

"We'll see 'bout that Patil. Oi! Where's the ref?" bellowed King. A shorter boy came running, ready to give the teams what he called a minute for 'team conference'.

"So here's the plan," declared Parvati as the group huddled around her, another thing he found strange in this unknown world. "Kieran, Albus, and Ethan, you're the forwards, so keep driving the ball to the other net. Nehru and Harrow will put up a fight to defend it. Keep an eye out for their keeper too; Browning's a git when he wants to be."

"Susan, Aisha," continued her sister, "you're the midfielders, so King, Peakes, and Chander will be mainly your responsibility. Me and Parvati, we're defense; we'll back you up and watch out for Avila and Colman."

"And you Ron, are the keeper, so just make sure nothing gets passed you," finished Parvati boldly, "got it?" Ron wasn't sure he'd even kept up with half of what either of them was saying, but he nodded nonetheless. They broke their cluster, and assumed positions, Ron hesitantly stood near the net at the back, unsure of what to do. Noticing a small audience gathered, he tried to push down the additional anxiety of being watched. It was a miracle he wasn't a shivering mess, since getting lost in a large city, being forced to compete in a sport he knew next to nothing about and being expected to win was quite an unnerving experience to say the least.

A whistle blew in the distance, and Ron snapped back to reality, noticing the players springing to action. Right from the start, he noticed King took procession of the ball, gracefully maneuvering around the midfielders and giving the Patils a run for their money. Surprisingly, Albus with the help of the other forwards was picking the game up quickly, the three managing to wrestle the ball back from the bully, now facing the players who Ron believed were the rival team's defense. The audience was cheering loudly, chanting 'All hail the King!' It seemed very popular, and it unsettled the ginger haired boy.

Sure enough, King and his minions managed to get the ball back from the forwards and made a beeline for Ron. Even with the stalling tactics of the Patils, Susan and Aisha, King made it all the way to the net, and sent the ball soaring, Ron unable to stop it even as he lunged. The audience cheered louder, screaming 'All hail the King!' as he preened. Ron felt his confidence plummet as the same mistake happened again…and again…and again. Despite the initial comparison, this definitely was _not_ Quidditch. Soon enough the score was 4-1 and Ron was feeling miserable, not helped by King's mindless fans.

However, Ron wasn't sure exactly when, the rest of the team including Albus, to Ron's surprise, began moving like a well-oiled machine. Moves were called between them, allowing Albus, Kieran and Aisha to score once each. Padma and Parvati even managed to turn the tables on King and denied him any additional goals. Ron may not have been able to do much from where he was standing, but he cheered for his teammates anyway. The blaring bell rang again, and the teams abruptly came to a standstill.

"It-it appears w-we have a tie!" shouted the referee hesitantly. Ron noticed King looked downright furious at news but relented.

"A penalty shootout at final break will determine the game," the ref finished. Ron's whole team groaned, and he asked the nearest person, Susan, why that was so bad.

"Are you alright there? Penalty shoot-out means that you, the keeper, has to face off against a player of their choice to stop the ball. Judging by his ego, it will be King." As Ron followed the rest of the players into the 'school', the only thing running through his mind was his impending death by football.

-oOoOoOoOo-

Parvati noticed Albus and Ron slightly dazed as they headed inside, so in a moment of sympathy, she approached them quickly.

"Lost already huh?" she asked, prompting Albus to look up and give a sheepish grin. "Oh Shiva, this is going to be a long year for you two. What year you in?" That earned her another confused look.

"Um, we're nine?" offered Ron.

"So you're Fourth Years?" prompted her sister, who'd appeared out of nowhere. Parvati always found it amusing for Padma to do that as it scared the daylights out of poor souls like the two boys.

"Sure let's go with that," replied Albus quickly, still unsettled.

"Kay then come, line up with us," she insisted, signaling for the boys to follow them. Well, now was there opportunity to find out more about their mysterious team members. "So you guys just showed up at lunch, I take it?"

"Yeah, we, we're kinda…late 'because we got lost," explained Albus sheepishly.

"Oh? Are you two brothers?" asked Padma.

"Yes," said Albus.

"No," said Ron simultaneously, earning a glare from the other boy.

"We are, he's just a joker."

"But, you blokes are in the same year, and don't look alike," she noted, clearly wondering how much worse their lying could get.

"I'm adopted," replied the green-eyed boy.

"You are?" a loud jab to the stomach followed Ron's question. "I mean, yeah it's a tragic story really." That list bit sounded somewhat sarcastic, but Ron seemed pretty bad at acting so Parvati couldn't be sure. She simply shared a look with her sister as they both thought 'just play along with this mess'.

"I see," she replied as they were now making their way up the stairs and into school. "So then why were you late to class?"

"We came in all the way from D-" started Albus, only to be quickly interrupted by his 'brother'.

"The Burrow!" he declared, causing more rough housing between them. She marveled that they hadn't attracted the teachers' attention yet.

"Borough? Like the Tube station in Southwark?" Ron nodded far too quickly for her or Padma to take seriously. These boys were clearly strange, and lining up in front of the classroom door, she remembered her mother's words about strange people.

'If anyone around you acts extremely out of the ordinary, keep your eyes and ears open.'

-oOoOoOoOo-

Xeno finally tracked the boys' floo path to King's Cross, and upon arriving, he could not believe his misfortune. He paced the Atrium of the station as he reached an impasse. While he could pass for a muggle in his current attire, that still gave him no clue how to track the path the boys had taken. It seemed that his wandering had drawn some attention to himself because after a few minutes, a pair of men dressed in uniform were approaching him suspiciously. Xeno held his breath, hoping he hadn't aroused suspicion.

"Sir, are you in need of assistance," asked the first. Xeno now silently thanked his luck for their arrival.

"Yes, thank you! You see, my family passed through the station this morning, but at some point, my boys got separated from the rest of us and we've been trying to locate them." His concern clearly affected the men, because their faces clearly were softened by his anguish.

"Do you have a description of your boys?" offered the second, starting to go through what appeared to be a procedure. He took a deep breath and began listing off what he could.

"They're about nine, one has dark brown hair and green eyes, the other's a bit taller, red hair, covered with freckles and blue eyes." Both officers' eyes lit up with realization.

"We saw those boys sneak out of broom closet!" exclaimed the first, "but before we could get them, they ran after someone. Went that way," he said, pointing to the Underground sign. Even Xeno, inexperienced in muggle affairs, knew that that sign meant you could go anywhere in London. His heart dropped into his stomach and he cursed. He'd been hoping that he wouldn't need to go that far, but with such a large search area, he would have to go to the ministry for help and he'd…definitely have to notify Molly Weasley. He shuddered at the impeding reprimand.

"Thank you, gentlemen," he said nodding to the officers, "my day just got a whole lot harder."

-oOoOoOoOo-

As she went over the roll call, Madeleine Creevey was sure that something was off. In the morning, she'd only had twenty-two students, but that was clearly no longer the case. Glancing around the classroom, she quickly spotted the additions. In the back corner, the two boys were whispering amongst themselves, making a very poor attempt to be inconspicuous. 'So I have another pair of trouble makers,' she sighed internally. 'Looks like this will be a long four months for me.'

"Excuse me, you two. In the back," she called. Their heads bobbed up immediately, their eyes full of fear as though they'd been caught doing something wrong. They hesitantly got up and shuffled their way to the front, the rest of the class watching in silence and curiosity.

"Both of you are not on the class list, so I'd like to get your names, just to make sure the error can be corrected," she explained when they made it to her desk. The dark-haired boy began explaining hesitantly.

"Um, you see Mrs.…"

"Creevey,"

"Mrs. Creevey," he began, "I think there's been a mistake. You see Ron here's a wizard, and I've lost my memory and-" She was going to have none of this.

"Stop. You may be all those things, and I may be the seventh Time Lord, but that does not excuse you from telling me poorly crafted lies to hide a mistake," she said in a firm tone. While she'd heard tall tales before, this was the tallest of them all. 'Wizards, really?' She glanced around the class seeing most were giggling and the Patil sisters were sharing a look that reminded her of her youngest children when they wanted to terrorize Colin or Dennis.

"Now, I'm letting you off with a warning today, but if I hear of this again, it'll be straight to the Headmaster's office for both of you, understand?" The boy with red hair nodded, with absolute certainty while the other agreed reluctantly. "Good. Now, I still need your names, so we can edit the roll call."

"My name is Albus Lovegood," began the boy who'd 'explained' the situation.

"And mine's Ron Weasley," explained the second. As she wrote the names down, asking them for clarification on spelling, she noticed that the second name seemed familiar.

'Wasn't that one of Churchill's colleagues from work?' she wondered, stowing the thought away so she could ask her husband in the evening. With the corrections made, she sent the boys back to their desk, and began the afternoon's lessons. While most of the students seemed to understand, she noticed a handful of them were really struggling with the work, among them her two new troublemakers. Albus eventually did catch on as the lesson progressed, but Ron seemed to be completely hopeless. Even David King grasped the concept faster, and from what she could tell he wasn't the brightest bulb. It was a miracle this boy even made it to fourth year and she wondered if her time as a substitute teacher would be enough to get him up to speed.

Time marched on and soon enough, the last break was fast approaching, and the children were once again restless. She put in a strong effort to keeping them under control and successfully held them off until the bell finally rang, when the students poured out of the room in a torrent. Finally alone, she sighed aloud.

"Looks like I have my work cut out for me," she declared, preparing herself for what the next four months could bring her.

-oOoOoOoOo-

Albus was relieved to be out of that classroom. He'd been able to keep a handle on his emotions up until they'd been publicly reprimanded by the teacher. He felt like he shouldn't have tried to confess the truth in front of the class, but there was nothing else he could think of. Now that they were back in the yard, he could breathe easy again, pretending to be confident like James. Unfortunately, Ron didn't have that luxury.

"I'm going to die, Al. Really I am!" he moaned. "If it's not these numbers she keeps babbling about, then it's my impending doom by that bloody football."

"Just relax," reasoned Albus, just as Padma came running up to them.

"So this is it. Ron, you just need to stop one ball. I don't care how you do it, just do it." They walked back to the nets and sure enough, King and his sycophants were already there. He was smirking condescendingly as Albus and the rest of the team approached, ready to settle the score.

"So you twits actually came back," jeered King. "And here I thought I would be able to win without having to lift a finger. Oh well, it's just a short delay. When I win, the pitch is my territory, and you'll have to beg me to even consider letting you use it." Albus found the gloating distasteful and infuriating. He glanced over to Ron, who was sweating buckets as the referee came running to start the shootout. Since their team scored the last goal, they got to kick off first. To Albus and the whole team's relief, Aisha executed it flawlessly, scoring them a point with ease. It was all up to Ron now. Albus never realised a sport could be this intense, but nevertheless, his heart was fluttering in his chest as King swaggered up to the ball. Ron was shaking, and the crowd continued to chant their wretched chant hailing King, all eyes on him.

"Get ready to die Weasley," he taunted, as he ran up and kicked the ball.

Everything moved in slow motion. Albus saw Ron flinch, jumping straight into the ball's path as it pummeled him in the gut. He was sent flying backwards into the net as everyone watched, gob smacked.

"No goal!" cried the referee. His voice was drowned out by their team's cheering as they ran to pick up Ron. No longer did the crowd cheering for King, but it mindlessly chanted "Weasley!" much to the boy's surprise as he recovered from catching the ball with his stomach. Hoisting him into the air, Albus thought to give King a taste of his own medicine. Yelling at the top of his lungs, Albus chanted,

"WEASLEY IS OUR KING!" The trick worked, and the crowd quickly shifted their cheer, making the cocky boy's defeat much more poignant. If it hadn't been for the teacher who was watching the whole spectacle, Albus was sure the other boy would have tied to beat them up. King stormed off fuming.

"Weasley is our King! Weasley is our King! He didn't let the football in, Weasley is our King!" Albus saw his friend grinning from ear to ear, laughing at the sheer strangeness of the day and of his own near-impossible feat. Even though they were lost in an unknown place, full of fear, and with no certain way of getting home, in that moment, Albus would not have traded those experiences for anything in the world.

-oOoOoOoOo-

Pandora pulled her head out of the fireplace, surprised that Molly took it as well as she did.

"At least her face was only pink this time," she mused aloud. "Last time something bad happened, it was puce!" She'd long ignored the strange intermittent gusts of wind coming from the yard, but she knew that if Molly saw what the girls were doing, it would certainly not help brighten her mood. She went to the back door, and saw the two girls flat on the ground, laughing and exhausted.

"Kay so refining that is definitely a must," reasoned Ginny.

"I'll keep note of that," chuckled Luna holding a finger up. "So what's next on the list?"

"Making sure Molly Weasley doesn't catch you," stated Pandora, making her presence known. The girls were startled but turned to her quickly.

"Mother! What a surprise. How long were you standing there?" asked Luna nervously.

"Enough to know that you aren't doing anything dangerous." They relaxed when she indirectly approved of their experimenting. "Ginny's mother, on the other hand, might beg to differ."

"Is she on her way here now?" wondered the red-haired girl.

"WHERE ARE THEY!?" bellowed a voice from within the Lovegood home. Pandora gave the girl a knowing look.

"Does that answer your question? Come, we needn't keep her waiting," gesturing to the girls to follow her as they went to meet her infuriated guest.

-oOoOoOoOo-

After their victory in football, the day flew by for Padma. Ever since Albus and Ron had shown up, her mind had been whirring, busy trying to find out what they were hiding. She and her sister picked up they were lying almost immediately, but they went along with it to get more clues. When Albus announced they were wizards in front of the whole class, she thought they were either very bold or very stupid. Glancing over to her sister, it was clear she believed that it was the former, while she was inclined to the latter. As the clock ticked toward three, she and Parvati conspired to bring them home, since it became more apparent that they were lost and needed help. The key was keeping them in the dark to the sisters' true nature.

"You think mum will be mad?" whispered Parvati.

"No I'm sure she'll be upset, but that's about it. Fifty pence she says, 'Vishnu preserve me'."

"Oh it's on. One pound if she invokes Shiva in some way,"

"You know this is kind of like that time in the Nāga town," smirked Parvati.

"You mean with Dad and the wristwatch?"

"The very same."

"Don't even! There was so much honey in our hair, and you looked so bad without hair afterwards,"

"I look like you, your bald head wasn't any better," they laughed, forgetting where they were.

"Misses Patil! This is a classroom, not a schoolyard. I know you're excited for the end of the day, but please do not interrupt the class." The teacher was visibly unamused.

"Sorry Mrs. Creevey," apologized Padma.

"Yeah sorry," mumbled her sister as Mrs. Creevey continued to teach, leaving them to silently giggle over humorous stories. She glanced back to Albus and Ron, seeing they were just as restless as they were, eager for the final bell to ring. Sure enough, when the bell finally rang, Padma bound toward the two boys, stopping right in front of their desks.

"You want to come over to our house?" she asked bluntly. The two boys looked completely shocked at the proposition and started whispering furiously. Parvati joined her and reminded Padma aloud that there were leftover sweets from the dinner party earlier this week. That was the key to convincing Ron who begged his friend until he relented.

"You're evil you know," scowled Albus.

"Oh we try," replied Padma teasingly.

"You just had to mention sugar around Ron. He's an addict I swear."

"Hey! Am not," said Ron defiantly. Padma couldn't help but laugh.

"Par, I think you found a kindred spirit," she joked as her sister stuck her tongue out at her. Leaving the school, they made their way down Braganza Street while she explained how much of a pain it was to walk the long way from their house at Manor and Penton, with some colourful commentary from Parvati.

"I remember this!" exclaimed Ron, "This is where-I mean those are the trees you see from the school yard." Padma noted the correction, along with the quick glare from Albus.

"Well, here we are!" exclaimed Parvati, leaving Ron and Albus gawking at the simple two-story, yellow-brick townhouse.

"There's so many of them," breathed Ron, as though he was actually seeing the neigbourhood for the first time.

"So many what?" asked Parvati coyly.

"Houses!"

"But isn't it like that in Southwark?"

"Where?" Padma saw Albus palm his forehead.

"The place you live," continued Padma, hoping Ron would spill more.

"I said that was the Burrow."

"Yeah, he did," continued Albus.

"Fine, fine. Let's get inside before nightfall," she said, ushering the boys through the door with Parvati's help. They were instantly assaulted by the voice of someone they thought wouldn't be home this early.

"Parvati? Padma?" Parvati cursed, and Padma frowned.

"Wasn't she supposed to be at work?" she asked, to which Parvati could only shrug, leaving their friends very confused. The voice grew louder as their mother inevitably made her way to the house's foyer.

"I thought I'd come home early so my daug- Sweet Mercy! Girls, I told you there no strange boys are allowed in this house!" Padma cursed their luck, looking to her sister for solidarity before trying to explain the situation.

"Mumi, you told us to look out for people who acted strangely," she defended. Ron seemed to be cowering behind Albus as their mother continued her diatribe.

"That doesn't mean bring them home, while no one's here!"

"But you are here, mumi," replied Parvati.

"That isn't the point." Their mother was firmly set, and there was only one way to break the stalemate. The sisters shared a look and braced themselves.

"Their wizards mum."

**Don't mind the OCs, they won't be making regular appearances.**

**No Mr. Creevey's name is not Churchill, its just a nickname, one that even his wife adopted ;)**

**Cheers, **

**Cepheus**


	11. Chapter 11

**A.N. Hello everyone! Sorry for being M.I.A. last week, but I had some stuff come up. No worries though, the story shall continue! However, I think I will be moving to a bi-weekly schedule, since school is starting up soon, and I will definitely not have enough time to produce new content (or rework old content) as I do now. So stay tuned for August 24!**

**Now onto the story!, **

**As per usual, **

**J.K. Rowling, I am not. Harry Potter, own I not. None of it.**

**Resolutions **

Sita Patil decided to surprise her daughters on their first day of school by showing up early and cooking them their favourite foods. While she missed the days of her youth where she would have called the family's house elf to do that for her, she did take comfort in her hard-earned skill. What she didn't expect today was her daughters coming through the door with two young wizards for company. It was obvious to her from the looks on their faces, that the boys hadn't known her daughters knew their secret. They seemed, surprised and afraid, trembling where they stood. She pinched the bridge of her nose at that revelation.

"Vishnu preserve me," she sighed, hearing a whispered 'yes' in the pause. "You told me there were no wizards at your school." Her daughters flashed her sheepish grins.

"Um, Mrs. Patil," began the green-eyed boy softly. Looking at them, it was clear they were lost and frightened, though they were trying their best to hide it.

"Dear, you'll have to speak louder if you want me to hear you," she said politely, hoping she hadn't scared him more so than he already was. His cheeks flushed red with embarassement.

"Sorry. We're actually not from around here. We got lost following someone we thought was Ron's mother," he explained, pointing to his taller friend who gave her a feeble wave.

"However, we eventually realized it wasn't her, and ended up in the school yard," continued the boy as he explained the day's events one by one, until he finished with a polite bow introducing himself as Albus Lovegood. His friend who she figured was Ron, offered his hand and introduced himself as Ron Weasley. Her daughters looked on the whole time with an air of amusement, and satisfied curiosity.

"So, my daughter's dragged you here." She chuckled a bit, now able to look at the spectacle in hindsight. "Forgive them, they have the curiosity to kill a dozen cats."

"Oh mother, you exaggerate too much," said Parvati, waving her hand dismissively.

"Oh I know my daughter's better than that. An incident involving a Nāga village and honey back home comes to mind," she said, and once again those sheepish grins she loved and hated shone on the girl's faces.

"Back home?" asked Albus, full of the same curiosity her Padma had on a regular basis. If these boys were kindred spirits to her daughters, she'd need more than Vishnu to preserve her.

"My husband and I are from Baroda," she replied, "where Nāgas live alongside humans. Leave it to my daughters to botch that in under five minutes." Everyone laughed at the ridiculous story. Collecting herself, she addressed the boys more seriously this time.

"I trust that you need to get home now, no?" they both nodded their heads. "Unfortunately, this house does not have a Floo connection, which reminds me, I need to harass Darshan to go do that," the last part she said mostly for herself. "Where was I? Oh yes, so boys in order to get you home, we need to get to the Ministry of Magic."

"To Charing Cross we go!" proudly announced the girls, as they started pulling Albus and Ron out the door. Sita saw Ron's eyes light up with recognition and relief.

"Quick question, how are we getting there?" inquired the redhead.

"Isn't it obvious?" Parvati replied. "By taking the Underground." The boys collectively groaned before replying.

"Not again!"

-oOoOoOoOo-

Xeno could not believe his luck. The ministry telephone booth lay scattered across the sidewalk, broken glass everywhere, its metal frame bent into a bizarre contortion that in other circumstances could be considered modern art.

"Stupid automobiles," he muttered as the police told him about the drunk driver who slammed into it. 'Who the hell drinks at three in the afternoon?' he thought. Unable to get into the ministry by the guest entrance, he elected to sit down and wait for the maintenance employees to come and fix it. When they eventually did show up, they told him it would be done in at least an hour. Honestly that was surpising to Xeno, seeing as they had magic, but what did he know.

Sighing in frustration, he sat back down, and wondered how upset Molly and maybe even Pandora would be. He knew that Albus was not getting away with this unpunished, and if Molly allowed him, neither would Ron. Running around London was not the way he'd planned to spend his free day, and the sarcasm he was liberally employing was the only thing keeping the ever-growing pool of dread in his stomach from getting the best of him. He was so immersed in his thoughts that he failed to notice the crowd of children running toward him. Even, as they called his name, he remained unfazed. It was not until his child crashed into him, nearly knocking him over, that he realized what was going on.

"Mr. Lovegood, I presume?" He looked to the source of the voice and saw an Indian woman in a muggle business suit, carrying herself confidently. Albus and Ron were busy chatting away with two girls who he assumed were her daughters.

"Yes, that would be me," he said, still shocked.

"Mrs. Sita Patil, a pleasure to meet you." Xeno immediately went on the offensive, metaphorically speaking, curious to know where the boys had been.

"How did my son and his friend come to be in your care?" asked Xeno. Sita smiled.

"According to them, they took the Floo network to King's Cross, mistook some woman to be Ron's mother, chased her all the way to Kennington, and somehow ended up attending half a day of mundane school."

"You're a witch?" he asked quietly, noticing she'd employed the standard word for non-magical people outside of Britain.

"Yeah, she is Uncle Xeno!" exclaimed Albus, whose bright attitude dimmed when he saw the look in his guardian's eye.

"Not so loud, Albus."

"Sorry," the boy mumbled.

"Don't worry," he replied calmly. Sita chuckled a little, while Albus rejoined the kid's conversation.

"My husband is a healer but took a post as a doctor at a high-end Hospital here in London," she said, interrupted by the intermittent giggles of the four children. He was surprised that they would willingly move to Britain, but he supposed that to each their own. I mean, he hadn't left so he wasn't in a place to judge.

"I see. And you like it here?"

"Well, your ministry ostracized us when he left St Mungo's, it's surprisingly more comfortable in the mundane world. Plus, I enjoy my new job. At least I got my subscription of 'The Quibbler' transferred here." The last comment surprised him the most.

"You read to the Quibbler?" he asked hopefully.

"My husband and I are avid readers of each edition. My September copy came in this morning." He hesitated before replying softly.

"I'm the editor." Though he tried to remain humble, it felt good to see his work appreciated by others.

"Really? Pleasure to meet you then. Darshan will be over the moon when I tell him." Xeno chuckled a bit before remembering that the boys were in trouble.

"We'll write. Sound good?" said one of the daughters.

"Hey Ron, looks like you'll have to brush up on your writing skills too," replied Albus, nudging his friend in the ribs while Ron punched Albus in the shoulder. It seemed his earlier guilt was momentarily forgotten when face with new friends.

"Boys." They turned toward him, all excitement they'd exhibited moments before had fled, replaced by tenseness. "It's time to go now. Say good bye to your friends and Mrs. Patil." The other family bid their reluctant farewells, before turning to depart.

"We expect to hear from all of you soon," stated the woman, before finally leaving to return home. As they faded into the crowd, Xeno turned to the boys and showed them all the displeasure he was feeling on his face. The two children bowed their heads in near silence, becoming very sullen.

"Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" A beat of silence passed.

"No," they mumbled in unison.

"What you did today was extremely dangerous. Even if you'd taken one of the French Portkeys I keep I wouldn't be this mad, because at least if you were in danger, you could get home." It took all his effort to keep from yelling at them. Despite this, his tone was stern. "You decided to go off by yourselves, you lied about where you were going, and took no safety precautions."

"I'm sorry I have shamed you Mr. Xeno," replied Albus weakly. 'Here we go again,' he mentally groaned.

"You have not shamed me Al. You made me, Pan, and Molly very upset, and same goes to you Ron." The other boy's eyes darted as he was put on the spot. Xeno continued in the same serious tone, to drive the point home. "We're upset that you didn't let us know what you wanted to do and betrayed our trust." Seeing the boys were visibly wracked with guilt, he knew he had to finish this public reprimand soon. So there, in the middle of the busy sidewalk, he crouched down and looked his adopted son, and said son's best friend in the eye.

"I love you Al, don't ever forget that. You are part of our family now. And I care deeply for you too Ron. You've been a good friend to Al. Your mum definitely loves you the way I love my boy." He saw both their expressions brighten a bit, and though Albus was still looking at his toes, he was smiling at Xeno's words. "And because I love you, I need to give you a consequence so that you learn that you can't do something like this again. Al, you won't have access to a quidditch broom until October." Albus looked up shocked, but he continued, "And both of you, with the permission of your mum Ron, will be helping me clean all of the Quibbler's Printing Machinery." The sober looks in their eyes told him everything.

"Okay," they both replied softly, Ron being very close to tears. Xeno gently took them both by the hand and led them away from busy Whitehall Road. Away from the public eye, he hugged both of them tightly.

"Well, we need to go home now, and face the music," he said with a hint of amusement in his tone. They grasped his hands again, tighter than last time, anticipating the rush of apparition. With a soft pop, they left London behind, and reappeared in the Lovegoods' living room. The brief moment of relief was shattered by angry screams.

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE! HOW COULD YOU HAVE DONE THIS?" Xeno saw the boy visibly shrink at the rage of the fiery matriarch. "HONESTLY, Ronald! Of all the things you could've done today! It couldn't get worse than this!" Xeno only hoped for the boy's sake that she was right.

-oOoOoOoOo-

Where was he? He felt foggy and was mostly confused how he got here. One minute he'd talking to Albus, or Eamon, or whatever he called himself and the next, he was back in this strange room. How did he get here?

He tried to open his eyes again, but every little movement was a struggle. It took several minutes, but he finally managed to crack an eye open.

Sure enough he was in the strange room. It was dark now, and the silence was punctuated by intermittent beeping and snores. He moved his now-open eyes to see where the snoring came from, and despite his limited neck mobility, he was just able to make out the outline of his Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur, asleep on a nearby couch.

'Where are my parents?' he wondered, worry beginning to creep into his thoughts. 'Was it like what I told Albus? Are they dead? They can't be dead! Why did I tell Albus that?' This train of thought was taking a toll on his mind, but the sound of an opening door broke the cycle. He flicked his eyes over to try and see the room's newest occupant. In the dim light, he was surprised to see the silhouette of a healer.

The man was average height, stocky, with a nearly trimmed beard, and typical dark hair. He seemed to be busy taking notes and analyzing the beeping machines, Or, well medical equipment. Either way, the healer wasn't really paying attention to him. James sighed, causing the healer to stare directly at him. He supposed he should say something since starting directly into the healer's eyes was unexpectedly awkward.

"Ko-kobanwa" he said, struggling to get his lips to work. Man, his throat hurt, like it was made of sandpaper or something.

"_Good evening to you as well, Potta-san" _replied the healer, having gathered his bearings.

"_Why…am…here?" _he rasped, hoping that healer understood. The healer suddenly had a distant look in his eye. James saw the man gulp.

"_Well Potta-san, you were in an accident about a month ago."_ James eyes bulged. That long? "_And we have been healing your body and your magic ever since."_

"_My magic?"_

"_Yes, you had a large influx of foreign magic in your body, which nearly killed you."_

"_Oh…Am I okay now?"_

"_Not quite. Your magic has yet to fully settle, which means that it takes a large amount of energy from your physical body. It's why you are waking up once every few days"_ James finally began to understand why he was so disoriented. He was in a coma dreamscape, so his brother would only show up when he was sleeping…probably. It was really hard to think too much. The healer was now joined by a medi-wizard, and they were talking about him.

"_Sakai-san, he's not ready to leave the coma_," he heard the medi-wizard whisper.

"_I know, we will talk to Tenrō." _Oh, they were talking to him again. "_Tenrō?"_

"_Y-yes?" _It was getting harder to talk.

"_We need to re-induce your coma again, so that your magic recovers. Ok?" _He paused, trying to think. They still hadn't mentioned his parents or siblings, and Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur did not look like they were waking up any time soon.

"_My fam-" _he coughed. The healers looked scared for a second. Uh-oh.

"_We will talk more when you have more strength, ok?"_ the healer said, his voice flat. That didn't sound good. He was worried.

Wait, didn't Albus, or whatever he wanted to call himself, show up in his coma? 'Yes', James deliberated, 'I need to find out what happened.' He flicked his eyes over to the healer, who was nervously expecting his consent.

"Ok." He whispered. So James, let himself drift away, hoping that he could get to the bottom of this strange new reality.

-oOoOoOoOo-

As the sun had set behind Hogwarts, Fred and George were amazed. Never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined Hogwarts to be this amazing. The people they'd met on the train were amazing, even those weird souls who professed they wanted to go to Slytherin.

"So Freddie?"

"Yeah Georgie?"

"Do ya think we'll be in Gryffindor?" The other boy paused for a moment.

"That's where everyone wants us to go."

"Not Grannie Cedrella."

"True, But-" before Fred was able to finish that sentence, a stern woman in crimson robes appeared in front of the group of First Years.

"Good evening." She carried herself with a no-nonsense attitude. "My name is Professor McGonagall and I am the Deputy-Headmistress of Hogwarts. Each one of you here tonight will be sorted into one of Hogwarts' four houses, each with their own illustrious past. Gryffindor for the brave, Hufflepuff for the loyal, Ravenclaw for the wise, and Slytherin for the cunning." At that moment an idea popped into George's head.

"Cunning, eh? Isn't that what Albus called us?" he whispered.

"Aye he did, as does everyone else."

"Well, should we try to be 'Slimy Slytherins'?

"Isn't Slytherin the unpopular house?"

"In Charlie and Percy's books," said George. That beat of silence was enough for them to make a decision. They looked at each other and grinned devilishly.

"Looks like we have our work cut out for us Georgie."

"Indeed we do, Freddie. A nobler goal one could not find." In their conspiring, they failed to notice their gradual entrance into the Great Hall, nor the elaborate song. Their minds were to busy spinning elaborate plans on how they would accomplish their predetermined goal. By the time McGonagall called 'Fred Weasley," they had only one thing on their minds.

"Hogwarts better be ready for the greatest prank in history."

**A.N.- **

**Now before people start killing me for the twins sorting, fear not there is method to their (and my madness). No they will not be evil, I love them too much to do that to them. Though they may have impacts on others around them, thus changing Slytherin house, just a little bit. Until then, the twins will prank on. If anyone has any additional concerns PM me or review, either is fine**

**The name Sita for the Patils' mother is actually drawn from the story "Harry Crow" by robst. The name just fit perfectly, and I couldn't bring my self to give her a different one. If your interested read that story, its actually quite interesting (but over 500000 words so brace yourselves).**

**As always, reviews, signed critiques, and PMs are always welcome.**

**update: So Baroda for those of you who don't know is in India on the Arabian Sea Coast, North of Mumbai. Since Rowling never specified an Indian Ministry, I'm being artistcally liberal about it.**

**Cheers, **

**Cepheus**


	12. Chapter 12

**A.N. Hello again everyone!**

**As usual, I am not J.K. Rowling so I do not own Harry Potter or the universe he lives in. Just playing around in her sandbox.**

**On to the story!**

"_Japanese_"

**J'en ai Rêver**

"Ready?" called Luna. The clouds were rolling along, and gusts of wind rustled the trees in the yard. In front of the girls lay two brooms, polished and gleaming when the sun peaked between the clouds.

"You sure this is going to work?" replied Ginny, suspiciously looking at the broom.

"I thought you were the one who loved flying."

"Shut up, I am!" she replied, trying to mask her insecurity. "But I mean shouldn't we have more control over the technique?"

"We are just testing the waters. It's not like we're pulling a Wronski Feint while doing it," replied Luna blissfully. While they'd been practicing the techniques for nearly a month and a half, Ginny wasn't sure if they were prepared to do them while riding a broomstick. Since her mother had agreed to Ron cleaning the Quibbler's machinery with Albus, she'd also been allowed by the Lovegoods to have the two boys to degnome the Weasleys' garden before Halloween as punishment. Fortunately, it meant that Ginny spent most of her time outside of lessons and chores at Luna's practicing with their magic. The 'magic air' as Luna called it, was difficult to work with, but bit by bit, they were getting better at doing the moves with more and more control. It was a lot of fun, but it often left her really tired. Good thing Auntie Pan always provided them lots of food to keep their energy up.

Despite all of this, they had never attempted this kind of magic atop a broomstick, and Ginny had a feeling that they should probably be a little more careful.

It was ironic really that she, the girl who normally rushed headlong into a challenge was hesitant, while Luna, always cautious and observant, was eager to get this fiasco started. Ginny supposed enough curiosity could get Luna to do Gryffindorish things. So, taking brooms from the Lovegoods' closet, Ginny and Luna mounted, letting them hover a few metres above the yard. As they leveled out, Luna began concentrating, swirling her arms slowly as the air was funneled by the movements.

"Hey, that's new!" cried Ginny, not recognising these new gestures. Luna smiled brightly.

"I was practicing it last night," replied her friend, sending the swirling ball of air straight toward Ginny, forcing her to dodge, flying out of the path of the magically charged air. As she did so, she felt the cooler natural winds blow past her and it gave her an idea. Mustering what strength she had, she reached out with her magic, trying to feel the wind currents, flowing with them. It was unlike anything Ginny had every felt. Everything was so light, so smooth, so… indescribably awesome! Luna watched her with curiosity as she twisted and turned in the breeze.

Then, a sudden gust of wind sent her rocketing upwards, to her utter surprise. It took a second to stabilize, but she managed, unfortunately no longer able to feel the ecstatic aerial sensation.

"How do I get down from here?" she called to her blond friend, now a dozen metres below her. She was answered not by Luna, but by a gale that knocked her off the Cleansweep, sending her tumbling to the ground. Fear now coursed through her veins, and the only thing she thought of was not wanting to die. She noticed Luna speeding forward on her broom, trying to reach her before she hit, but Ginny didn't think her friend would get there in time. Then, just a bare metre above the ground, her magic kicked in, making her do something a month and a half ago she would've thought impossible. She stopped there, hovering, neither rising nor falling, but suspended as if by a thread. Glancing up to her friend, Ginny didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry. Luna continued flying towards her, landing on the ground before walking over to her floating friend.

"That's what I call quite fortunate you know," she pointed out casually, as if she'd been unfazed by the ordeal. "You know, perhaps we should stick to the ground for a while." Ginny made her best nonplussed face in response to the oblivious statement of her friend, but Luna paid her no mind. "If you'd stayed on the broom, you would have crashed into dad's Fire Olive tree," she said pointing to where the broom had landed; a large, dark, and knobby tree whose bright orange leaves matched the plethora of colours autumn brought to the countryside. "The good thing is, its harmless since mum harvested the oil. If she hadn't, I think she said it would have been on fire today, since it's the full moon."

Ginny didn't know what to say, so she laughed, still suspended in the air. Her laughter, infectious as it was, broke the magic sending her tumbling onto Luna. Amidst their laughter Ginny thought that though today had been quite an exhausting mess, what she'd done on that broom had never made her feel more alive. She'd already loved flying thanks to Quidditch, but this brought her passion to a whole new level.

She knew right then that one day, she'd be the best flyer out there.

-oOoOoOoOo-

When Albus found himself in that dark unknown space again, he shrugged it off as routine. One could only be scared of the dark a dozen or so times before the feeling became muted. As he waited for his memories to return, he listened for sounds, and quickly noted the distinct singing of metal through air. 'I'm getting better at this,' reasoned Albus as he set off, following the noise. While walking, he noticed white cracks forming in the void. They had been slowly forming with time, and in some places, you could see white light pouring through. Tenrō said that it was because he was in an intermittent coma, and that the space would probably dissappear when they woke him up for good. Albus kind of hoped it wouldn't be soon, because he liked Tenrō. Soon enough he found an open door standing alone, and beyond it stood his friend, practicing his dueling with a dummy. Stepping into the imagined room, he immediately found it to be large, adorned with old fashioned red pillars and expensive wood. The floor covered in training mats, with equipment scattered everywhere.

_"What in blue blazes are you doing now?"_ he called in the language the elder boy spoke. Turning to address him, the older boy gave him a slight bow, smirking.

_"I was just practicing dueling."_

_"With that thing?"_ said Albus, skeptical of the short but beautiful blade.

_"This 'thing' you speak of is a tantō, and it's a magical focus genius,"_ he declared pompously. Albus could tell he spoke with great pride in the weapon.

_"So it's like a wand?"_

"_Yes and no. My dad and mum have wands. Well, I do too, but I don't use it as often cause Yūna's always trying to steal it. Anyway, wands can do just about anything, but they're really fragile,_" explained Tenrō. "_My dad told me once he had to fight some crazy demon snake which resulted in his wand snapping in two. Some people around here prefer not to use wands for that reason. Tantōs are definitely the most common foci because their short and versatile like wands but made of stronger stuff. The core's in the hilt as opposed to the shaft, that's the biggest difference._"

"_And the fact it's made out of metal_," added Albus.

"_Pffft, that's but a minor detail_," replied the boy, laughing. After the first few times he'd woken up in these dreams, Albus found them to be an amazing experience. Well, despite only remembering a small fraction. Tenrō always had something new to say, and Albus always felt at home. It was as if he'd known this goofy boy his whole life. "_Oi! Did your brain just die? Must I put an obituary in the _Kamakura Messenger_?_"

"_Oh, laugh it up, king of comedy_," chuckled the green-eyed boy.

"_King? How dare you insult me with such a lowly status," _exclaimed Tenrō, feigning shock. _"I am a god of comedy!_"

"_Please_," replied Albus smoothly, "_I doubt you can top the Weasley twins. They got themselves sorted into Slytherin as a prank on their older brothers a few weeks ago. According to Ron, they've pranked half their house and still haven't been caught. They even pranked themselves and acted upset to throw suspicion off_."

"_My my, looks like I have some fierce competition_," he shrugged. "_No matter. I took down a pack of bullies last year just by pranking. No punches._"

"_No punches? Really?_" asked Albus incredulously.

"_Yup, not one. If I can beat Sato, Shimizu and Ōda at their own game, I'm sure if I ever met these Weasley twins, I'd beat them hands down._"

"_Sweet Merlin, since when were you such a puffed-up peacock?_" exclaimed Albus.

"_Who are you calling a peacock?_" asked the other boy, defiantly swelling his chest.

"_See? That's puffing!_" he joked.

"_Why come here, you git!_" cried Tenrō as he chased Albus around in circles. Eventually they just collapsed into a laughing heap in the middle of the dimly lit room and lay there for a long while. Albus looked up at Tenrō, who seemed consumed in thought.

"_Eamon, you said Weasley Twins?_" he asked. Albus nodded. "_I'm related to Weasleys_."

"_You are? I live right next to the Weasleys!_"

"_You do? You're in France?_"

"_What? No, I'm in England._"

"_Oh. My cousins all live in France. I mean, they used to live in England but that was before the last war…_" Albus saw him trail off.

"_What happened?_" Tenrō looked a little confused at Albus' statement.

"_It's kind of a long story._"

"_We don't have anywhere to go._" Tenrō scowled at the logic the younger boy presented. Admitting defeat, he sat himself on the ground in the middle of the room before he started to speak.

"_You see, my dad was a war hero in England. He fought a one-on-one duel with the most evil wizard of all time and won, according to my uncles. After that, life finally got back to normal, my dad got married to my mum, and his two best friends got married to each other. My older brother Takahiro says he has really faint memories from that time._" Albus was enthralled by the tale and urged the boy to continue.

"_So, a couple years before I was born, the evil wizard's old loyalists assassinated the leader of the government. It was absolute chaos, and the country might've been fine, if they hadn't gone and killed a lot of people and destroyed Diagon Alley._" That statement made Albus pause. Diagon Alley was still standing. "_For a country that just recovered from a war, it was too much. My Grandpa died in the fighting. They even killed Teddy's grandmum, so dad and mum adopted him because dad was his godfather_." The sparked more questions in Albus.

"_Wait, so you have an older brother named Takahiro, and another older brother named Teddy?_" asked Albus, hoping for clarification.

"_No, my whole family has official names and then names we use for family only. So Takahiro's his given name, and Teddy's our name, but he kinda mostly uses Teddy. You know, it's kinda like middle names in England._"

"_Oh. So, what's your middle name?_" asked Albus curiously.

"_That, my friend, is an in-family secret. Only my parents, Takahiro, Yūna, and…Saburō know what it is._" Albus noticed how he hesitated when mentioning his younger brother, glancing over at Albus as though expecting him to react. Albus thought it was strange, but he supposed it was a significant step in acknowledgment from the first time he met the boy.

"_I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours, Eamon_" Tenrō replied jokingly. That made Albus a bit nervous since he knew he couldn't.

"_No thanks, I'm good_"

"_Well then you'll just have to make do with Tenrō,_" he replied smugly.

"_Was that the whole story?_"

"_Hush impatient brat, I'm getting there. The killing just got worse and even though my dad and his friends put up a good fight, the country fell apart. The ICW finally said enough was enough. They intervened and placed the country under mandate status, meaning it ceased to exist as a sovereign nation, or something like that_," he said, becoming very sober. "_Since dad was a hero, they blamed it all on him. They killed his best friends in an explosion not too long after that_."

"_Wow, that's awful. I would hate if that happened to Ron, Ginny, Parvati or Padma. Maybe not my cousins did though. They creep me out or they're annoying as hell._"

"_Are you sure about that?_" asked Tenrō surprised. Albus then realised what he'd actually said.

"_Actually NO! I didn't mean that. But they are annoying right now._"

"_I don't mind some of mine, but others, couldn't agree with you more buddy,_" he joked._ "So, what was I saying? Right, so they died and then mum found out she was pregnant with me. That's when she said, 'we're leaving because there's nothing left for us back home.' Well, I mean they had my mum's parents and siblings, but they were mostly moving to France, and besides she told my dad that she didn't want me or my brother to suffer because everyone hated my dad for failing to keep the country together and he finally agreed._" He paused for dramatic effect.

"_So, they picked the furthest spot possible, where no one would know who they were. They moved to Kyoto, where they ran into Daimyo Midoyama._"

"_Wait, what does Daimyo mean?_" asked a puzzled Albus. That one also earned him a look from James, but he indulged the younger boy.

"_In the magical world, it means clan leader. All the wizards in Japan are part of clans, which are headed by a clan leader. Clan members don't have to be from the same family, but they're all loyal to the clan. Mundane-born wizards and witches can join any clan willing to take them, and the clans definitely love trying to compete for how many people join. Did that explanation satisfy you 'cause we're really getting off-topic here._"

"_Okay fine, continue, Lord Tenrō._"

"_Tch! Cheeky brat. So, as I was saying, Daimyo Midoyama knew my father was famous and he had skills to match his reputation, 'cause he was a diplomat for the ICW and I think Dad had met him once or twice before then. He offered my dad protection by inviting him and mum to join the clan. After a bit of negotiating, they did, translating their middle names for use on all their documents. Couple months later I was born and so they did the same with my middle name, turning 'Sirius' into 'Tenrō'. A couple more kids and a couple years later, they decided to move to Yoshiumi to get away from the city, and that's how I came to be here,_" he exclaimed, finally finishing the epic tale. Albus took a few moments to absorb all the information he just heard. He still had a few questions, because something in Tenrō's story didn't seem to add up.

"_Sounds like life's treated your family pretty harshly_," stated Albus flatly. "_But when did all this second war stuff happen? Voldemort was defeated in 1981 by the Boy-who-lived._" Albus noted Tenrō stare at him like he'd grown a second head.

"_Are you living under a rock? I mean sure, you've lost your memories Al, but you can't remember that?_" Now it was Albus' turn to gape at Tenrō. How did he know his name? Did he know Albus personally?

Unfortunately, before he could answer, Albus was ripped awake by some argument coming from the lower floors, depriving him of the chance to give Tenrō a response. His breaths came short and quick, still calming down from the surprise he'd just been given. It took him a few seconds to calm his breathing, before he realized what he'd missed.

"Drat!" he cursed, wondering what on earth his parents were fighting about. It was probably chores or what they were having for breakfast; the usual thing when their 'once in a blue moon' fights happened. It was the clarity of this early morning that he was reminded of something he had wondered about for a very long time. The reason Tenrō was familiar was because he reminded Albus of someone else that in a different time which he no longer remembered, was family.

"Is Tenrō actually James?"

**À la prochaine!**

**Cepheus**


	13. Chapter 13

**A.N.- Hello everyone! First I want to apologize that this is two weeks late. School threw off my schedule, and then I lost the master copy of this story for a while and when I recovered it, it wasn't the most recent copy, so that took a while to edit and reformat. **

**So thank you for you patience, and now on to the story!**

"_Japanese"_

"_Gobbedygook" _

**I seek the truth**

It was the Thursday before Halloween when Pandora heard the floo flare, followed by the sounds of exhausted children coming home from lessons. While she'd initially not trusted Albus around the floo due to the 'escape' as they were now calling it, she'd eventually permitted him to use it whenever he and Luna went to lessons at her mother's home, provided he wear a glamour around the extended family.

"Hi mum!" called Luna, hair clearly windswept.

"Hi Luna" she asked, confused at her daughter's appearance. "What were you up to?"

"I ran," stated the girl casually, "but I don't think grandma approves." It appeared her daughter did not seem bothered by the last comment, judging by her shrugging shoulders. Just then, her older brother came stomping into the room, scowling. She noticed that it was becoming more common for him to have such an expression but couldn't figure out why.

"Al love, what's the matter?" asked Pandora.

"Why do we even go to these lessons? I can learn enough here at home."

"They're to round out your education. Sort of what like what Xeno does when he has the time."

"But I like Uncle Xeno!" he huffed.

"And you don't like Grandma?"

"No, I love Grandma! It's Luna's cousins I don't like." Pandora finally saw the problem. He was upset about his new cousins and his appearance.

"But they're nice, Al!" injected Luna.

"To you! I have to a wear a glamour thing and they still look at me weird"

"They're just not used to you, that's all."

"Oh sure," he said rolling his eyes. "I mean Astoria just stares at me, Daphne treats me like I'm a dragon with two heads, and Eurydice and Usiris aren't even our cousins!"

"They're your cousins' cousins," explained Pandora softly. "Don't worry about them. You only see them once or twice a week during lessons. Focus on what you're learning and on treating them nicely and you'll be fine." With a quick wave of her wand, Albus' black hair and green eyes appeared once more, causing his shoulders to sag in relief. In the conversation, she'd failed to notice that her husband had snuck into the kitchen, only revealing himself by his dry commentary.

"So, looks like Al doesn't like the esteemed Lady Astrea Connor after all," Pandora looked up and glared at her husband.

"You know your mother-in-law likes you very much," she huffed, making her husband smirk.

"Really?" he said dreamily. "I thought that last attempt to rid her parlour of plimpies would've remedied that." The children started giggling.

"That's whar you were doing? Because if I recall correctly…"

"Kids, I left a new book on the library desk, you should go read it." His flustered face signaled a victory in her books. Pandora noticed that Albus wanted to stay but gave into his sister's pleas as she dragged him up the stairs. She smiled, glad that Luna was willing to cheer him up and glad that they considered each other siblings. Turning back to her husband, she gave him a teasing look as he smiled sheepishly.

"You're a tad late."

"I'm sorry love, I was held up in Arle by a contact who rearranged last minute. Otherwise I'd have been back earlier." She still didn't budge on the issue. Seeing her obstinance, he pulled out a large paper bag.

"I got dinner and Calissons from Aigas Mórtas, just the way you like it." Satisfied by the offerings, she smiled and gave him a kiss for his efforts.

"And this is why I let you keep all those French Portkeys," she smiled.

"Well, how else am I supposed to sneak out of Britain undetected?"

"You could get Reggie Cattermole or Dorothy Boot to go instead."

"See but I need my junior writers alive, thank you very much. Leave them to report the domestic issues" She laughed at his point, valid as it was. Setting the bag on a nearby table, Pandora noticed her husband seemed a bit troubled.

"What is it love?" she asked, and he clearly picked up on her intentions.

"Evie, do you remember that joke about Albus being Harry Potter?"

"Oh, please don't tell me you believe that now," she said, brow creasing at his unexpected words. "I mean, that's the whole reason Albus has to wear a glamour he hates when he leaves Catchpole."

"I know, I know, I don't"

"Then why bring it up?" He sighed deeply.

"Last week, when I went to pick up the children from lessons, Francis…He pulled me aside and he asked me if Albus was the Boy-who-lived. I tried to downplay the possibility, but he told me that the boy seemed to fit the bill, especially with the lack of history of his whereabouts and our…protections." Pandora frowned as she realised the source of the issue.

"My mother asked me the same question earlier this month. My guess is she sent dad to harass you for answers."

"Do you think we should tell them the truth?" he offered.

"Dear, I don't think my parents would react well if they found out we were harbouring the son of an Azkaban convict, and no idea who his mother is" she replied dryly. "How's that search going, by the way?"

"That's what took forever in Arle today. Unfortunately, nothing new about Sirius' Black's escapades."

"Drat. So no, I definitely think we shouldn't give them the whole truth."

"Well then, time to come up with a cover story!"

"Yes, something you're quite adept in," she stated, rolling her eyes.

"Shush you," he said jokingly. "We could say that we were passing through muggle London, ran into an ill woman, who was practising street magic. Turned out that it was real magic, and when she saw we were wizards, she begged we take her youngest son…"

"Why her youngest?" she asked curiously.

"Because he was the only one with magic, and she wanted him to have a chance of go to Hogwarts. So, we accepted to take him in."

"You really think my parents, or other people for that matter will believe it?" Her skeptical gaze didn't go unnoticed by her husband.

"To be honest, it's more believable than you think," he said as he sat down. "You remember how in '72 the Whitby Institute got shut down by a Death Eater raid on the town?" She nodded, vaguely recalling the incident. "Do you remember much of what happened after that?"

"Something about schools closing, but not much else."

"Well, after that attack, Wenlock and Torbay fled to the exile communities to avoid that fate when the Wizengamot outlawed all magical Institutions bar Hogwarts in '75 during the crisis. Our _dear_ chief warlock stood by idly by and made sure at least 20% of the population couldn't or cannot get a magical education because as I'm sure you've heard from Molly that the prices at Hogwarts are astronomical. It's a miracle she's getting all seven of her kids through, really. So, there are many poor wizards and witches who get by on scamming muggles because it's the only thing they can do." She was slightly shocked at the numbers because despite their previous conversations about school closures and prices, and the news articles of her youth, she'd never realised just how bad it was. I took her a few moments to process.

"I never knew," she said, unsure of what else could be said. Xeno smiles softly.

"I know love. I only knew a bit more because of my parents' articles," he replies. She summoned her half-full cup of tea, and casts a warming spell. Then without asking, magically prepares one for Xeno, causing him to chuckle. Their long-running inside joke warms her up just enough to return to their conversation.

"What about Molly and Arthur and their kids?"

"Hmm?"

"Xeno, they know what actually happened to Albus." Both of them start thinking about solutions.

"We could swear them to secrecy," he mentions. Pandora gave him a look, skeptical about the success of telling Molly Weasley to lie. "Look, the worst that could happen is she says no, and we can alter the story to fit the truth a bit more."

"Well, if we can get them to agree, judging from what you just told me that might just work." Xeno took a sip, and she was sure she could see a smirk hiding behind the cup.

"I am a reporter, aren't I? It's the _Quibbler_'s duty to report the truth."

"Prat!" she said smacking him lightly. At that moment, a grey owl came soaring through the window, nearly landing on the bag containing the evening's meal. After a bit of hassle, she and her husband calmed it down by feeding it a few treats. Tied to its legs were two letters; one for them and one for the Weasleys, both in plain manila envelopes. Pandora untied them both, picking up theirs first.

"What's it say?" asked her husband, as she read the letter aloud.

_Dear Xeno and Pandora,_

_Thank you for taking care of the girls last month while we were away. I'm sure you know that they can be quite taxing. _

_This Sunday we'd like to invite your family over to spend the opening of Diwali with us. I know that you are both busy, but I knew that festivals were something you were both fond of. If not, might I suggest Guy Fawkes Day celebrations the following Sunday in Kennington Park? We'll be getting back from Sheffield Friday night, but I'm sure we can make it work._

_Sincerely,_

_Sita Patil._

"I can't go this Sunday, it's crunch time before the November edition's printed," said Xeno.

"And I can't go next Sunday because of the post-Halloween potions rush," she replied, concern on her face. However, wicked smiles replace all previous emotions as they shared an idea.

"You go this Sunday with the kids, and I go next?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself love," she smiled, kissing him on the cheek softly.

"We should probably call the kids down for dinner," he replied hastily to her satisfaction.

"Yes, we should. And we probably need to tell them the cover story for Albus while we're at it."

"Indeed! To debunking the myth that our son is Harry Potter!" he said, proclaiming an toast of tea, which she joins. "Wherever the real boy who lived be, may he never know of the confusion!"

Somewhere in Little Whinging, a little boy with dark hair, green eyes, and a resemblance to Albus Lovegood sneezed loudly, unaware that strangers were talking about him.

-oOoOoOoOo-

"_Good afternoon, _Tenrō," James looked up at Healer Kobayashi with mild surprise. He thought it was her day off.

"_Good Afternoon, Healer. What brings you here today?" _The petite woman smiled.

"_I was just checking up with you, to see how you were feeling," _she replied, trying to fill her voice with some hope. It was _not _working. He snorted a bit, fully aware it was disrespectful, but how else could he respond?

The past two months he had spent in and out of a coma. Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur eventually told him about the car crash, the funeral, and his new living arrangements. He kind of knew that the car crash hadn't ended well, he remembered telling Al as much, but it was still hard to believe. He fought the news for a few days, crying more in the last few weeks than in his entire life. He just wanted it to be over.

Then there was the fact he was relearning to walk, which was annoying. If it weren't for the fact he needed to find out where Albus was hiding, he would've probably let himself go and not even tried. But his brother was out there somewhere, without any memories, and in a place that never heard about the Second and Third Blood Wars. Where was he? These thoughts swirled around in his head as Healer Kobayashi stared at him, shock all over her face.

"_Gomenasai healer, but I don't know how I feel anymore." _ She gave him a look of sympathy, which was probably the tenth time this week he'd seen it.

"_I see,"_ she paused. "_Well, it may be good news to you that your progress means you'll soon be free from the hospital." _Again, he was unsure how to feel about that. On the one hand, he felt trapped here, and no offense to the city of Matsuyama, but he missed Imabari and Yoshiumi. But he wouldn't wouldn't be going back there. He'd be going half-way around the world to his Uncle and Aunt's. In France. He didn't want to leave his home. Sure, he'd come back for school in April, but there'd be no more late nights looking up at the stars with Teddy and Albus, no quidditch with Lily and Dad, no more Mum's cooking, no more family vacations.

No, this line of thinking was too depressing, so he banished the thoughts immediately. He would not let himself believe what everyone was saying. They're not dead. They're probably stuck somewhere like Albus, and if I can get him and his memories back, he might know where they are.

"_What are you looking forward to when you leave?"_

"_I dunno," _he replied shrugging_. "Studying and walking."_

"_That would be good. The more you practice, the stronger you will be. If you keep it up, you'll be playing quidditch soon enough."_ That elicited a small smile from him before he remembered his Dad, and the empty pang returned full force. He needed to find all of them again.

"_Healer Kobayashi?"_

"_Yes Tenrō?"_

"_I was wondering how much longer will I have to spend in the magic-induced coma." _It seemed that his request was unexpected because she stared at him for a moment.

"_Well, we were planning on letting you rest normally this evening, so your body can get accustomed to not receiving draught of living death every night." _That was not the answer he wanted to hear.

"_Well shouldn't we try that tomorrow? I'm feeling pretty exhausted and its only 2 pm." _The doctor gave him a wan smile.

"_I know it rough, but like walking practice, your body will need sleep practice too." _James was beginning to feel desperate.

"_One more night please?" _She was looking less amused.

"_Tenrō you have to understand, if I expose you to more of these potions than your body requires, they will begin to damage your organs. Up to now, we've been monitoring it carefully, but I don't want to risk it any further." _His agitation was palpable as she continued to stonewall his request. He knew he had one last shot to find Albus, and he couldn't fail.

Not yet.

Not now!

And suddenly the nervous butterflies in his stomach became tremors in his limbs. Golden flashes were sparking out of his fingers, and Healer Kobayashi dropped her checklist, jaw slack. Was this accidental magic? It couldn't have been, he was too old for that. He felt he should be scared, but he was more tired than anything, quickly developing tunnel vision. The healer had already pressed an intercom, and was yelling something about a storm, which was confusing.

"_Code Arashi! Get some DoLD and Healer Sakai!_"

'Well at least the accidental magic was good for something,' he thought as he felt something cold dripping down his throat and the world fading from existence.

-oOoOoOoOo-

Gornuk bolted upright in bed, gasping for air. It was at least the tenth time this particular nightmare troubled him, and he knew he would be unable to sleep for the rest of the night. Moving out of the room, he made his way to the place where he stored his alcohol. He grabbed a bottle, uncorked it, and swigged it down reminiscing on the root of his current problem: the Lovegood boy. When he'd seen the golden hourglass appear on the parchment, he knew there was trouble ahead. He didn't realise then just how much trouble would truly arise. He recalled the experience as though it had happened yesterday.

_Rushing along the corridor, Gornuk determined to reach the high director's office. It had been many years since anything like this had happened, but even in his panic, Gornuk remembered that protocol stated the parchment must be brought before the Director under all circumstances. Winding through the deep maze of tunnels, he finally approached a giant door adorned with stone carvings. Guarding it were two burly goblins, deadpan as he approached._

"_State your business, manager__," declared the guard. Gornuk simply showed the unusual parchment, and the guards gave way, visibly paling at the ominous document. As he made his way through the doors, he entered an elaborate cavern, the likes of which a goblin could only dream of encountering._

_At its far end, there stood a long desk where a stately goblin was busy writing, surrounded by a small entourage of servants and aides rushing around to help their master. Gornuk was humbled to be in his presence, but he knew that this was a matter of urgency. He knew the Lovegoods were waiting and if this boy's identity was dangerous, they needed to know._

_The scratch of quill on parchment suddenly stopped, and the elder goblin looked up from his work to see what had interrupted him. He gave Gornuk a look that he could only describe as soul piercing._

"_Manager Gornuk of the Sharpsword clan__," he stated in the goblins' native tongue. "__Why do you show your presence at a time like this__?" Gornuk bowed deeply before continuing._

"_Your august and most noble Directorate, may the blood of your enemies ever flow freely__," he reverently said._

"_I have pressing matters at hand, Manager. Why do you seek my presence?__" Daring to be bold, Gornuk presented the parchment he held, placing it on the table in front of his superior. The director's eyes bulged, and he was ultimately speechless._

"_All bar Griphook and Gornuk leave__," he instructed to the aides, who left the room without hesitation. Gornuk remained alone with the one aide he recognised as one of his superiors before the elder goblin spoke again._

"_My, it has been a while since we've seen a time traveller__," he mused. "__Let us see who he really is__." With a swipe of his hand, the symbol was gone, and it was replaced by writing._

"_Albus Severus Potter__," stated the director. "__Or more properly, Potta Saburō Albus__." Scanning the parchment, it was clear that the boy was born on May 10, 2006. That his parents were none other than the Boy-who-lived and the youngest Weasley to the Director's amusement. That he'd been born on the isle of Shikoku, much to Gornuk's confusion. Yet what stood out the most was the method of travel. Upon the parchment it read:_

'_Sand of Time, Opal glass, Blood: 5 persons, and Metamorphmagus Hair.'_

_Glancing up, Gornuk noticed the Director and his aide had turned whiter than a sheet of muggle paper._

"_This…something is not right__."_

"_Sir?__" The Director gave him a grave look._

"_This is not time travel__," he stated. "__I have never seen this happen in my life, but certain texts describe something like this…__," he trailed off. "__He has been banished across the realms of time…and has become an anchor to this realm__." The director had a distant look in his eye, as though he were citing text. _

"_The Bridge of Souls?__" stated Griphook from where he stood._

"_It is indeed possible. But even that description does not fit…it is not quite the same.__" Gornuk felt lost. He had never heard of either of those magics before, but then again as the guard said, he was a mere 'manager'. _

"_Most noble Diector, I have not heard of these before.__" The director looked up at Gornuk, his expression laden with burden._

"_Be grateful that till this day you have not. If it is indeed the Bridge of Souls, it is quite foul work. Second only to the Unforgiveable Ritual in horror. The Bridge of Souls anchors beings to another dimension, effectively casting the anchor out of their world with limited ability to remember, the caster controlling the anchors' ability to travel and to recall. Worse, at least one being in the ritual must anchor their soul in the realm of the dead__." Gornuk hissed at the implication. _

"_Yes, it is not something we discuss lightly. The only reason it is 'better' than the Unspeakable is that it does not grant you immortality and breaks upon deaths of all the anchors. Some foolish wizards thought it was a way to go back in time, but the truth is that they simply bridge the multiple realms of existence for a brief moment, and unless you have living anchors on both sides, you cannot travel between them__." The three glanced back at the condemning piece of paper. As the words, sunk in, Gornuk realised the implications for the boy._

"_You're saying someone has used him as anchor!?__"_

"_Possibly; his lack of memory does point to it, but this is different. The texts have never described using children__." The director shuddered at the implication. "__Did you sense any form of foreign magic on the boy?__" _

"_No, Director__," responded Gornuk._

"_That ritual would leave distinctive signs on the boy's magic, and even you would've picked it up already__." The director looked puzzled. "__Was there anyone else present when he was found__?" _

"_To my knowledge, no Director__." _

"_So, we do not know if there is a dimension jumper, since the boy was found alone. This is complicated; if there is an active Bridge, the jumper could be any of the others whose blood was involved__." he paused, inhaling as though bracing for the worst__."I fear for our nation. If this is truly that dark ritual, then his arrival is an omen of disaster__." Gornuk saw the director pinched the bridge of his nose with his long bony fingers, seemingly mulling over the complex situation in front of them._

"_There's a reason this bloody thing was banned__!" shouted Griphook, outrage mixing with fear, "__it sows destruction__!"_

"_So, what do you want me to do? Kill the boy?__" suggested Gornuk anxiously._

"_And start a war with the wizards? That is madness!__" the Director bellowed, noise reverberating throughout the cavern. Griphook then piped up._

"_Could we remove the anchoring magic?__" The Director shook his head._

"_The fact that Gornuk here could not notice that anchor means that it either doesn't exist, or it may not be as simple as removal. It doesn't help that the archives say every attempt to do that has resulted in death. No, we must wait and hide the truth of his identity, let the humans come to their own conclusions, just like the time travel protocols.__" _

"_But the Dimension jumper__?" asked Griphook hesitantly._

"_We must keep our eyes and ears open. Anyone who has access to this knowledge could be a foe, and honestly the humans are too busy celebrating the death of 'You-Know-Who'. If this is indeed a Bridge, we will protect the boy__." The elder goblin waved his hand over the parchment, and only two lines of writing and one crest remained. "__That should be enough to satisfy them. Now go, do what you must, and we will reveal this in 1994. Until then, follow standard time traveller protocols. Neither of you is to speak of this to another soul, understood__?" The manager and the aide nodded solemnly. Finally, Gornuk simply bowed, taking the piece of parchment and mindlessly walked away, back to the room where his greatest problem lay. _

"_Manager Gornuk__?" He turns back to face the director from the door. "__If you hear anything that confirms our suspicions, you will report it immediately__."_

"_Yes Director__," he intones before departing. _

The encounter played over and over again in his mind, and there was only one thing that he could conclude in his delirium.

"Harry Potter, wherever you are, I hope you never have to deal with the coming madness,"

In a house on Privet Drive, the aforementioned boy woke and sat up, ramrod straight, curious about the loud buzzing in his ears. He wondered if a fly had come lose from a web far above him. Glancing around his room, a glorified walk-in closet, whose ceiling was the staircase, he noticed nothing amiss. Shrugging off the strange sound, he tried making himself comfortable on his lumpy mattress. He welcomed the fatigue and fell fast asleep, another one of his small luxuries before his aunt would bang on the door and demand breakfast.

A.N.- So now we finally see Harry! He'll soon be taking a more active role in this story, so not to worry, he'll start showing up again.

Pandora's extended family (namely greengrasses) will not play a major part in this story. Mentioned every other chapter or so but that's about it.

So Xeno mentions three other schools that once existed in the Magical UK (honestly did you think Hogwarts had everyone :P)

Torbay-Completely fictious institution of educated which would have been located in the Southwest (Torquay in Devon)

Wenlock- I'm not sure whether this name comes from fanon or canon, pretty sure its fanon, but I've seen it appear in two independent stories; The Well Groomed Mind by Lady Khali (amazing, must read if you don't mind a bit of Ron/Dumbles bashing) and The Perils of Innocence by avidbeader (quite a unique spin on muggles and muggleborns). So, I'm continuing the 'tradition' so to speak.

Whitby Institute- Loosely inspired by the plot of the fic 'The Beginning' by Lestats dottir

Lot of those French Names are actually Occitan so ya

that is all

Reviews are ALWAYS appreciated,

enjoy,

Cepheus


	14. Chapter 14

**A.N. – Hello everybody! So, the delays on this chapter came from requiring a few rewrites. School is both helping sharpen up this story and delay it quite a bit. Since Thanksgiving (Canadian) is coming up, I'll have some time to catch up, so hopefully the next few chapters will come out quicker**

**Thank you all for your likes and comments, I do appreciate those!**

**As usual I am not the illustrious JK Rowling, so this sandbox is not my own!**

"_Japanese" _

**The Dream is Collapsing **

Albus stood gaping at the dreamscape. The dark void was peppered with little dots, shimmering like the starry night. Hairline cracks became chasms, pale opalescent aether weaving in and out.

"Tenrō," he called, echoes fading to silence.

"Tenrō, I need to talk to you," he called again, sounds of falling debris the only response. He maneuvered the jagged plateau cautiously, unsure if the ground beneath his feet would collapse at the lightest touch. One misstep sent him scrambling for a ledge as pitch disappeared, revealing more swirling mist. Albus clutched his sides for a moment. 'It's falling apart,' he mumbled to himself, before getting up to find the strange boy.

"I-I know who you are…I think," the last words trailed off, uncertainty dripping from every syllable. Discerning no aural change, his shoulders sagged. As he sat down, A bronze ring appeared in front of him. Curious, he picked it and put it on his right hand. After a few moments examining the unusual trinket, he pulled himself up to keep searching.

However, the abrupt motion loosened the terrain, suddenly dropping with a jolt. He was too far from the edge to escape, screaming as he fell towards the unknown. He closed his eyes and tensed his muscles, bracing for impact. Yet the blunt force never came. Instead, a rush of cool air washed over him. Opening his eyes a fraction, he was greeted by a familiar scene.

Dark wooden floors contrasted with pale plaster walls, paper screens filtering mid-morning sun. Couches littered with domestic detritus, and amidst it all, Tenrō, deeply engrossed in some mysterious project. Albus breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally found you," he chuckled, making space for himself on the couch before dropping. As he went to reach Tenrō's shoulder, hand passed through flesh like water through cloth. Albus flinched with a loud yelp.

He called the other boy's name, but Tenrō ignored his shouting. 'This isn't how it usually works' mumbled Albus, who promptly doubled his efforts. He waved his hands and shouted lighthearted insults at his friend, and still nothing removed his focus from the materials he was holding. Several futile attempts later, Albus growled and tried to throw some toy at Tenrō's head, only to find it also slipped through his fingers. The device then flashed brightly as it caught sunlight, momentarily blinding him. He heard the internal doors slide open, and as he turned, he saw a young girl, short and lithe, dark brown eyes and auburn hair. Albus decided to sit and watch.

"_Is it going to go boom_?" asked the little girl, skipping pretences.

"_What_?" asked Tenrō, finally looking up from his tinkering.

"_Is it going to go boom_?" she repeated insistently.

"_Course it is Yūna, it's a volcano_," replied Tenrō, finally lifting up his final product. In his grasp was a brown cone, cut open at the small end, though it was barely bigger than a hand.

"_Finally! You were taking for-ever_!" she dramatically exclaimed, as only a six-year-old could. Albus saw Tenrō playfully roll his eyes.

"_Go get Sabūro, he'll want to see this,_" he ushered. The girl- Yūna, stood up and went to external door, skipping as she left. Albus followed her, curious to know what other scenes existed in this hyper-real cinema. Just beyond the room lay a small ordered garden, nestled between the house and the imposing mountainside. Maples, peaches, and persimmons provided a delicate canopy of crimson, rose, and amber, with cedar bushes partitioning this small realm. Yūna ran through grasses, emerald brushing her palms, lingering between her fingers. He could spy a dark mop of hair peeking out from behind one of the distant hedges.

"_Sabūro! Come see the volcano_!" She called, but the mop did not move.

"_Sabūro_!" Her efforts were rewarded by stiff wooden arms dramatically covering the mop with a russet hood. Huffing, Yūna turned back to the house, shifting her yelling target.

"_James, he won't listen to me_," she whines. Those plaintive words elicit gasps from Albus. 'Did she say-' no he was imagining. He must have misheard.

"_Who won't listen_?" a new voice questioned, breaking Albus' mental argument. Looking up, a tall lanky boy rounded the corner into the garden, cyan highlights shining through his dark hair.

"_Taka, Saburō's ignoring James, cause he told me to get Al, but he won't come_!" her words scrambling to leave her mouth. Albus honestly hopes they stop talking, because the sudden name shifts send shivers up his spine- of anticipation or anxiety, he's not sure. He reassures himself that the boy with the volcano is James…'TENRŌ!' he mentally corrects. Taka puts a hand up to his chin, stroking his non-existent beard.

"_Well, let's go see what he's up to, kay_?" Albus sees the little girl smile.

"_Okay_!" she replies brightly, grabbing the taller boy by the hand and running to her moody brother. Taka stumbles from inertia before matching her pace. In their interlocked hands, Albus catches sight of rings, gold and jade. He freezes again, widening the gap between himself and these…ghosts.

He knows those rings. They're a matching set. He doesn't know why he knows those rings, but the cold metal of his own ring brushing his finger is a strong reminder. But these are Tenrō's memories…right? Were they something Tenrō showed him or where they…his own? None of these places or these names arouse familiarity, and yet he remembers the rings. He hears the names. The sounds of movement coming from the house cause his breath to hitch again as 'James' walks on to the porch.

"_Sabūro, get in_!" he calls impatiently. Albus finally takes a good look at Tenrō/James'. Glancing at the boy's hand, Albus saw that it wasn't the mini volcano that blinded him, but a silver ring. Matching of course. He vaguely remembers they were a Christmas gift, but he can't remember why. He felt his heart racing, a flurry of emotions beating inside his chest. He glanced at his own hand, eyes flitting back and forth to catch the differences.

"_Relax James, he's just finishing a chapter_," came Taka's mellow reply. "_He'll be up in a moment. Right, Lily_?"

"_Right_!" replied Yūna (or Lily?), enthusiastically flinging a stick at a tree. Every name these characters called and every gesture they performed made Albus' brow contort further. He saw James/Tenrō bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"_Well tell him to hurry up_, Takahiro," he sassed. The taller boy looked miffed.

"You try to get him to put down a book!" countered Taka.

"_Nah, that's why I have you Ted_."

The bushes were rustling, and the boy they called Sabūro rose, face no longer obscured by his book or hood. Albus stared at the approaching figure, ignoring the conversations around him. They had the same height, same gait, same build, dark chocolate eyes and wavy black hair. And resting on the same hand, glinting in the sunlight was the same bronze ring. This wasn't Tenrō's memory, but his own. His heart drops into his stomach as he clearly remembered his own past for the very first time. As these veils fell all around him, this conversation suddenly mattered more than anything else.

"_You couldn't have waited_, James?" replied a sarcastic Albus clone.

"Nope! C'mon Al, you were the one who had the idea in the first place!"

"_Wait what idea_?" asked the eldest.

"Nothing Ted!" the two replied, revealing Taka's actual name.

"_We're making a reeeally small volcano_!" chirped Lysse. Cas watched himself hiss at the girl. She recoiled.

"Teddy, Al said a bad word!" Teddy sighed.

"_Al, you promised not to be mean to Lily_!" he reprimanded. The spectral Albus watched the whole scene, sitting down as reality rammed into his gut. A tap to his shoulder didn't elicit any desire to look back. He cared more about watching himself interact with his newly remembered siblings. The tapping grew insistent. Still, Albus didn't want to look away from his newly found recollections, using his hands to visually graft his thoughts together in front of him. The tapping stopped, and someone grabbed him, spinning Albus to face the one person he had not seen yet.

The scenery dissolved around them, and the laughter dimmed, leaving him alone with this very familiar boy. All this time, he'd called himself Tenrō, _the Celestial Wolf_, to distract him. But Albus could now see he was a mirror of the volcano creator. This elder child gripped him by the shoulder, only puffs of breath between them. Another piece of the dreamscape collapsed in the distance. Albus saw a wrinkled forehead, wide hazel eyes, and in the free hand, a silver ring.

"James?" he asks, wincing. With a smile and laugh, James finally embraced his brother, crying.

"You _do_ remember!" James let him go and started jumping up and down with joy, ignoring the fact they were standing on metaphorical and literal thin ice.

"You have any idea how hard it was to find you?" James questioned. Albus felt a sheepish smile tug at his cheeks.

"Um, no?"

"Too long Al! Too long!"

"Well sorry," he answered, trying to be polite. James' eyes dim a little.

"C'mon you're supposed to tease back, Sabūro!" Hearing James call him that felt strange. Albus rubbed the back of his head.

"Well Tenrō, I don't remember everything," he said honestly. Tenrō cursed.

"Ok that's a start. But listen-" his words were cut off as the ground shook violently. Albus looked up to see the 'sky' falling, signs of the collapsing dreamscape. Looking back at James, he saw the other boy's intense gaze directed at him.

"Al, listen to me, this is likely the last time this place exists. I need you to tell me where you are, so we can come get you" Albus was surprised but answered quickly.

"I already told you, Ottery St. Catchpole" he insisted.

"But Ōbachan would've already found you then, she lives there!" Again, Albus wasn't sure how to process all this information being thrown at him.

"I haven't met her then!" he declared, half yelling, as the cacophony of collapsing sky and earth grew louder.

"That's not possible, she's been there since…" James stumbled on his words, realization dawning on his face.

"Albus what's the date?"

"The date?" Albus wasn't sure he followed anymore.

"Yes the date, dummy! I need to find you so that we can figure out what happened to everyone else!" A piece of the dark void missed them by millimetres, destroying the ground around them. Albus fell down a rising slope, now terrified. James screamed and jumped down to reach him, hissing as he barely grabbed his younger brother's hand.

"Al, PLEASE!" yelled James, arm trying to pull Albus out of the gaping maw.

"James, I'm scared."

"Just tell me the date and I can come get you!"

"It's November 1989," Albus cried but before his grip failed, tumbling into the glowing void. He screamed, crying out to his brother. But whatever his brother meant to tell him was lost to bright chasm below, and he saw white nothingness.

-oOoOoOoOo-

James woke up screaming. The collapsing dreamscape had violently separated him from his only living brother just when he thought he'd found him. To say he was upset was a very clear understatement. Still fumbling with his sheets, he saw his uncle moving to his bedside.

"Hey there," he cooed, sitting down on the edge of the narrow hospital bed. James noticed that a faint glow humming around the edge of the bed. Perhaps it was new runes, but right now he was too overwhelmed to care.

"How're you feeling?" Ugh. There was that question again.

"Don't ask me that Uncle Bill," he replied, perhaps a bit too sharply. His uncle's brow furrowed.

"Why not?" he asked. James felt his patience strung taut like a bow, and that was the question snapped the pent-up rage.

"Because I can't get to Albus, that's why!" he yelled, not holding back anymore. "I spent every minute in that coma trying to keep forming a dreamscape, just so that I could find him, and just when he figures out its me, I find out he's stuck in a different millennium!" His uncle seemed surprised.

"Wait, you induced this last coma?" Of course that's the first thing he asks. Never mind that he'd attempted to manually maintain a naturally-occurring magical construct by sheer will alone. Nope, completely irrelevant.

"No, my magic started being weird," he replies defensively. Vulnerable time was over. His uncle's gaze seems to shift, looking past him, before putting an arm around his shoulder. James stiffened. He couldn't handle being comforted now. He didn't _want_ to be comforted. If he gave in to this tenderness his uncle was trying to give him, he would break. Vulnerable time was _definitely_ over. So, he brushed Bill's hand away.

"I'm fine Uncle Bill, see," he said, swinging his legs over the other side of the bed and proceeding to do a little dance. Well, as much of a dance as the glowing runes would let him. Though it was more exhausting than he'd expected. He definitely thought it best to sit down.

"James, please come sit with me." Or not. Now he had to prove a point.

"I'm good, I've been in that bed for too long."

"And you need to be careful not to overexert yourself walking." Bill had a point, he just didn't want his uncle to get all mushy on him right now. His stubborn refusal was only met with a long, sad sigh.

"James, I know you're trying to brave, but it's okay to miss them." A beat of silence. All the scary thoughts were rushing back in to his brain. James wouldn't let them stay.

"I told you uncle, I've got this. I'm just frustrated cause I can't get Albus from where he's hiding." He barely noticed how his uncle got really tense for a moment, so he continued. "He just told me he's in-"

"James, they didn't find his body!" Bill shouted. James nearly fell over but grabbed the bed for support. He exhaled heavily, reminding himself he wasn't gonna cave to his uncle's pessimism.

"I know that, the Time turner sent him to the past." His uncle remained skeptical.

"How do you know he's in the past?" James jaw clenched.

"He told me in the dreamscape." He was really at his whit's end.

"James –"

"No! I know what I saw, and if you won't believe me, get out!" His voice cracking, his shoulders heaving, his legs beginning to buckle, glaring defiantly. Uncle Bill just stared at him stunned, as though he'd never met his nephew before.

"_Alright, Tenrō_," he replied softly, in James' native tongue, getting up to leave. The dim light in the room cast long shadows across Bill's scarred face as he stood by the door.

"_When you're ready I'm here, kay?"_ With that, he departed into the hallway.

Finally alone, James collapsed onto the bed, and let traitorous tears fall. He didn't want to be alone. He didn't want Mum and Dad and Teddy and Lily to be gone. It wasn't fair. Unlike with Albus, there was too much evidence to suggest they'd made it. He'd tried to find them in the dreamscape, but he never found them.

Albus on the other hand, _was_ alive. The fact they hadn't found his body only made him more sure of it. It didn't matter that Uncle Bill or Aunt Fleur, or anybody wouldn't believe him, he knew that his little brother Sabūro was out there, stuck in the past.

So, like his namesakes and ancestor before him, he would invoke Potter, Weasley, and Black stubbornness to find his brother. He would not bow. He would not break. Even if the rest of the world told him otherwise.

-oOoOoOoOo-

Pandora jumped for her wand when she heard the first screams. All the emergency measures they'd practiced during the war were rushing through her mind as she ran to Albus' room. Bursting through the door, she quickly assessed no Death Eaters, stray animals, or fire, but there was a trembling little boy, rocking back and forth on his bed, muttering.

"Modotte kite kudasai." Pandora's heart broke as she saw the tears streaming down his face. She placed her wand on a shelf and rushed over to console the boy.

"Albus," she said, slowly embracing him. "It's okay love," she whispered, but he still seemed to be lost in his own world, mumbling words she could not understand.

"Kudasai," he sobbed. "Hōchi shinaide kudasai," She ignored the wetness of her shirt as she rubbed slow circles into his back, hoping to calm her boy. With time she began to recognize his words as hiccupped pleading to some unknown entity.

"Please…come back," he sobbed.

"I'm here," she replied, truly caring for this boy as a son. She eyed Xeno at the door, and gave him a 'not yet' look, cueing him to keep Luna away for the moment if she woke up. He responded with a faint nod, and a flick of his wand to dimly light the room's candles. Inside, she hoped what she was doing did help Albus. It took some time, but slowly his sobbing calmed to low whimper. "Albus, love, was it a bad dream?" she asked softly. He nodded numbly.

"I dreamt I found my brothers and sister." She recalled he had told her about one of his brothers, James, a few times before, but unearthed very few details. This was progress.

"And what happened?" she prompted.

"Well" he began, "James was making a mini volcano, and…my sister tried to get me to come see it. But I was reading something and so I ignored them, so she got…Te-Ta-…um my oldest brother to get me, and then I started talking to James." She could see him struggling to remember all the details. Placing her hand on his, he relaxed a little.

"That's a lot more than usual," she praised. He gave her a small smile.

"Yeah. Then he told me…" Albus eyes widened in the low light. "He told me…something important." She saw his breathing hitch, progress erased. "No, no, no," he whimpered, eyes wide. "I need to remember!"

"Don't worry, it will come to you," she replied, hoping to calm him down.

"But I can't forget it! I promised! I-I-…it was my name. Something with Sabu? Sabo? ...No, it can't be gone!" he fumbled, trying to force himself to remember, but to no avail. Pandora saw his increasing anxiety cause his magic to flare, becoming a swelling ball of tense energy, as the tears began to flow again. With a burst, all the glass in the room shattered, and books began flying off his shelves. Pandora grabbed the little boy and began to rock him gently. The only thing she felt she could do to calm him down was sing an old lullaby, soft and sweet.

"_But with everlasting kindness will I gather thee, and with mercy will I take thee 'neath my wings," _It was one she used to sing to Luna whenever she was tired. And as her voice floated, the magical maelstrom shifted with it, slowing and eventually stopping.

"_Though the mountains shall depart, and the hills shall be removed, and the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea,"_ Rather than abruptly clattering, the items had previously been whipped around the room now hung suspended as she sang the chorus. It was…purposeful. Deliberate. Breathtaking. Not something you would see in the accidental magic of children. At least not in Britain. Nevertheless, she didn't let her self be too distracted, and proceeded to finish, lest it break this event.

"_Know my child, my kindness shall not depart from thee._" As the last notes hung in the air, floating books and toys settled on the ground gracefully, glass shards clinking as they landed. Glancing down at the child in her arms, she saw him looking at her dreamily, like Luna sometimes did.

"I think my mum used to sing to us," he said half mumbling. "Except James used to say lullabies were for babies. I think he just didn't like the songs" She smiled at the fact that her actions were helping him recall his past.

"So, would James like that song?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No, But I do," he said simply, eyelids starting to droop again. She was exhausted, but relieved.

"Thank you Albus." He snuggled into the crook of her arm, half asleep already. A bronze ring on his hand piqued her curiosity, but it could wait for morning. While melancholy still hung in the air, in this one moment Pandora could comfort her newfound son.

**A.N. **_**My Kindness will not Depart from thee**_** also does not belong to me, but rather to Rob Gardner. Disclaimer here!**

**As always, reviews are appreciated!**

**Cheers, **

**Cepheus**


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